Where There's Smoke
by notafandomfan
Summary: Galo learns the hard way that some rescues aren't so simple. When the immediate repercussions of losing the Promare hit Lio, his bond with Galo becomes a matter of survival for the Burnish leader. Forging a path to recovery is both painful and revealing, and it's final test promises a deadly price for failure. It's H/C, folks. With stakes.
1. So Yesterday

Big thanks to appolloop for giving this a beta read! You gave me the confidence to post.

I'm a reluctant perfectionist, so I have to make all sorts of excuses and disclaimers before I share my work. So you can just skip this part.

Still here? Are you a perfectionist, too? Sucks, right?

This fic is not even remotely perfect. It's kind of a dump that I didn't put serious effort into editing. It hasn't been streamlined or refined, I didn't go back and correct for characterization, I know there's definitely some repetition of theme, pacing problems, choppy tone shifts, probably canon conflicts, etc.

So. Real drafty. Must have left the window open. Are you still here? Fine, quick summary and then you can get on with it.

This story is bloated with H/C, mutual clueless pining, convoluted character arcs, and contrived almost-kisses. It is constantly edging. The logic of the plot devices is extremely nonsensical (so, fits right in with Promare) and they blatantly exist only because I want certain things to happen. In short, this work is pure self-indulgence.

By necessity, there were some head canon choices made-some because I like them, some just because an explanation was necessary and I went with what best fit the story. I'll try to clarify those in the notes, if it's not explicit in the prose. One that I will explain more about later is that I have Lio with the Mad Burnish and Galo with Burning Rescue for longer than is implied in the official side stories. I just wanted them to have more history/bond with each other than a few months would afford.

Kbye.

* * *

And just like that, the fire was gone and the thrilling connection of two joined hearts dissolved. Galo blinked and took a deep breath as he realized he was no longer flying across the solar system on the wings of a dragon made of protective fire or waving a colossal matoi, but instead stood once more on the broken Parnassus with its torn hull and fractured tower. A bright sun was beginning to shine over the thoroughly defeated behemoth, and with a grin he ran towards the edge to see the dawning of the new world.

A world saved and a world to rebuild. He stretched his fists in the air. He'd done the first part with the shining star known as Lio, and he was definitely planning to do the second part with the same partner. He couldn't wait.

Glancing back, his smile faltered at the sight of Lio, face in shadows, speaking to the man Galo used to admire more than anything in the world. Kray, who had always made him believe he could do the impossible, this time had been the one who tore down everything Galo thought he knew, had broken his confidence hard. Galo's eyes immediately sought the figure beside his former mentor, slight and easily dwarfed by Kray's bulk, but straight and strong and willing to stand against anything to save his people. A soul that matched the fire of his own. It was Lio-fierce, honest, heart raging-who had pulled him up each time Galo sank the past few days. His brutal truth, undeniable determination, and, perhaps most of all, his vulnerability had lit a stronger fire in Galo than he'd ever experienced. This was someone he had _needed_ to save, and Lio had turned right around and saved him back. Because that's who they were.

Galo's shoulders tensed as he looked at Lio standing, head bowed in the shade, still far too close to the influence of Kray. Lio shouldn't be standing in that shadow, he should be here, shining in the sunlight they'd fought so hard for. Well, the gravity between them was stronger than Kray's. Time to pull.

_Stay with me._

"It burned like a dream! This is the beginning. The city's new beginning." Galo exclaimed loudly, turning back to the horizon ahead. He was rewarded with the sound of Lio's footsteps approaching, and his heartbeat sped up in inexplicable anticipation. He could hear the rest of the Burning Rescue team assembling behind him, but his focus was on the petit figure that drew alongside him, all weary grace with an inquisitive look quickly replacing whatever dark lines had previously lingered on his face.

"Let's clean up after the fire. Lio, you're gonna help too." Galo grinned over, no room for argument.

_Stay with me._

"What?" Lio pushed back, incredulous.

"We're short of hands. We'll get your buddies to help too!"

Lio's face tensed. "But…"

A momentary memory of Lio leaving him behind in a cave, declaring it too dangerous for the Burnish to stay while they were being hunted and abused, flickered through Galo's mind. Never again.

"Don't worry, if the haters give you heat, I'll put them out! Through spark and flame, I got your backs!"

_Stay with me._

He was rewarded with a sight that made his chest feel like it was completely filled, overflowing. Every aspect of Lio glowed up at him as his shoulders relaxed slightly, his figure softening as it turned an inch further towards him.

"You really are an idiot." But his eyes spoke of gratitude and trust with that exasperation.

"Yeah! The universe's #1 firefighting idiot!" And they could do anything together. He held his fist out.

_Stay with me._

Lio's knuckles bumped into his, somehow both soft and firm. Shy but determined. And this was it. Definitely. Galo's favorite Lio moment. There had been many great ones (also the worst ever, but he wasn't going to think about that right now). Not that he was intentionally keeping track, it's just, the novel joy of those moments had branded themselves into him. He had never experienced anything as exciting as his first battle against Lio. At least not until they were actually joined together as one to fight their common enemy. Lio watching his back and supporting what he needed with perfect understanding. Even soaring together in a teal fire that consumed and protected at the same time, unrestrained, souls singing in perfect sync as they literally saved two worlds. All those moments were glorious. But the Lio standing here unguarded and beautiful beside him, arm outstretched to connect with him, silently shook the world in a new way.

And he wanted to extend his arm further, step closer, until his palm could curve around the elegant slope of that cheek, fingertips burying into the silky strands behind his ear, get close enough to see what was making those amethyst eyes still flare now that the Promare fire was gone. Smooth the skin of those delicate cheekbones with his callous-rough thumbs, and _why is he even wearing gloves and why is his skin on fire and why is he feeling like this again and why is Lio shaking-no, shivering…_

"You're cold!" Lio, who was looking concerned at whatever face Galo had been making, jumped as Galo all but shouted, voice pitched a bit higher than usual.

"Y-yes, I imagine it will take some getting used to. Not burning…" Lio quietly admitted, gesturing with his hand in a way Galo recognized he used to summon his fire. Used to use.

Galo's medical rescue training instantly kicked in and he registered what had been in front of him all along. The shivers Lio seemed to be trying to suppress, even in the warm desert sunlight, the spread of goosebumps along his bare arms and torso-every line, plane, and curve of glowing skin begging to be touched, his own body was warm, maybe on fire, he should share, wrap him up in some of that heat-

"A jacket!" Galo pointed back to the toppled Rescuemobile as Lio raised a questioning eyebrow. "I have one. You should use it, medical reasons not because it's distracting, stay warm-"

Galo watched as Lio's eyes followed his gesture and took in the gathered Burning Rescue team. They widened slightly at the sight of Kray being loaded under guard into a local police hover craft. Galo wondered when they had gotten there.

"That… would probably be good." Lio acknowledged and Galo could see his shoulders brace again, a weight descending as the moment of light and joy ended, and Galo felt its loss. But a moment later, with Lio sending him a quick, grateful little smile, a spark leapt back into Galo and he dashed off to the truck to get something warm for his partner.

After all, Galo thought with a critical backwards glance, there was still a lot of rescuing to be done today. It would probably be pretty distracting for everyone in the midst of handling this emergency situation to see the graceful way Lio's neck curved into his shoulder...

Ignis gave himself credit for a fair amount of discernment, but it didn't take keen observation skills to see when his youngest team member was acting like more of an idiot than usual, racing to the truck as if his pants were once more on fire. One Lio Fotia seemed to again be the source of whatever freakout Galo was currently going through. Ignis quietly assessed the smaller figure as he approached, observing the young face shifting to the no-nonsense almost-glare he recognized as a signature of the Mad Burnish leader. Just shy of hostile this time. Well, Ignis could work with that.

With a walking gait that seemed simultaneously urgent and unhurried, Lio Fotia, world's most-wanted Burnish criminal, walked directly up to the Promepolis chief of police and the Burning Rescue Squad 3 captain and team. Ignis almost wanted to smile at the way he stopped immediately outside of arms distance. Bold but not stupid. He had to apply sharper observation skills to see what he already expected of this enigma who had just somehow saved their world. But it was there. Worry. Exhaustion. And yet a readiness to keep fighting to see his mission through.

Ignis understood. So when Lio squared off for confrontation and opened his mouth to speak, Ignis jumped right in.

"What do you need?"

Lio's mouth stilled, slightly parted, as he directed a carefully probing look at the fire captain. Assessing the situation before making his first move.

"What do you need to finish this rescue?" Ignis clarified.

"You can't seriously be planning to allow Mad Burnish,_ terrorists_, to dictate emergency operations here," the police chief cut in with a tone just on the professional side of derision. She was a statuesque figure in her tailored uniform, with a look that Ignis knew always demanded quick decisions and prompt action. Her radio was quietly running with the nonstop chatter of frustrated first responders trying to coordinate across Promepolis in an overwhelming situation.

"Considering most of the people needing emergency services here are Burnish, I think it's reasonable to listen to the one who understands and represents them, Chief Sideros." Ignis' sunglasses glinted as he tilted his head. He had only had a chance to give her a brief overview of the situation so far, clarification was obviously needed.

"The citizens of our city are suffering from the infrastructure damage and violence visited upon them by those on this ship. We need all the resources we can spare aiding them. I understand the Burnish here are not necessarily to blame, but are they _dying_? We have an untold number of _our_ citizens stranded under wreckage, likely injured. I don't think we can prioritize _individuals_ who are secure where they are. We can find alternative housing for them later when national support gets here."

There was no verbally jumping in front of Lio this time.

"These Burnish are _human beings_ who were brought to _your_ city by _your_ governor against their will! They've been held captive and tortured and practically killed and are currently stuck like bugs pinned to a wall, by the monsters _you_ put in power!" Lio had gathered an impressive amount of rage in a body so small, so when he moved toe-to-toe with Sideros, his presence pushed the taller woman back a step. "_Are they dying_?! Is that what it would take for-"

"Everything was all tumbled up and crazy in there, but I found it!" Galo declared, jogging into the scene with his red Burning Rescue jacket held triumphantly aloft. He marched up to Lio who had redirected his wide-eyed death glare at the clueless man.

Without preamble, Galo tossed it around Lio's shoulders and zipped it straight up, Lio instinctively shoving his arms in the sleeves.

Ignis noted that Galo didn't immediately register the gaping looks he was getting from the group. The bubbly man had stilled, staring with his own expression of shock at Lio, who still glared even though only half of his face was now showing above the high-necked collar. Galo's jacket positively swallowed the smaller form, hem at midthigh, fingertips barely peaking out from draping sleeves.

"I think I made it worse." Galo declared.

Face flushed, he darted over to where Aina stood beside Ignis and began whispering to her. "It's too, y'know… too cute, right? Distracting?"

Aina bit her lip in silent agreement, but also stomped on his foot with a hushed, "Not now!"

Lio interrupted their private whispering. "Of course you made it worse! You really have no sense of timing, do you?"

Galo straightened and grinned back at Lio. "No time like the present! That's why it's called a present! Ahahahaha!"

Ignis dropped his face into his hand and began to massage this brow.

"Tch. That's _not_ at all how the saying goes, and _not_ the point." Lio's glare began to morph with exasperation.

"You were cold, right? No rescue, however small, should wait!" Galo declared.

Lio's glowering was broken by a shake of his head and what sounded suspiciously like a snort-chuckle, then he straightened and pointed a dramatic finger. "You can't interrupt me in the middle of my pose! I'm announcing my intentions!" Lio mimicked Galo's tone and general protest from their first battle with a pointed look.

Everyone could see the moment realization dawned on Galo's face as he looked around at the tense stand-off, and gave a quick, sheepish apology.

Varys side-eyed Remi. "Did Fotia just speak Galo?"

Remi nodded. "That…is terrifying. The corruption of another poor soul."

"Very interesting." Lucia gave a small cackle.

But they all uncoiled at the lessening of tension in the air.

"There," Ignis addressed Sideros and gestured to Lio, now wearing part of a Burning Rescue uniform. "It's official."

Lio and Sideros both looked like they wanted to protest, but then Lio sighed. His tone became more subdued as he unzipped the collar and rolled up the cuffs of the sleeves, but his brow creased as he returned his attention to the urgent needs of his people.

"We need to free everyone from that death trap _now_," Lio demanded. Ignis nodded and Galo raised a clenched fist in agreement as Lio continued, "They'll need a safe place to rest, eat, and recover as we organize what to do long-term, also protection from those who would harm or neglect them," his eyes flicked to the police chief, "The basic human things you'd offer any _normal_ disaster victims. There are injuries, and everyone will need medical treatment and pain management, and we…" Lio paused. "We should figure out who didn't make it."

Sideros had the grace to pause and give an introspective nod.

"My units are stretched thin," she began, but in a decidedly more conciliatory tone. "The former governor didn't hold back on his military might. Against his own city." Venom laced her voice. "Frustrating that those Freeze Force bastards got away. They're not the first priority, though. How many people are stuck in this boat?"

"About twenty thousand Burnish."

Everyone stared as Heris announced the figure. Her quiet voice steady but her eyes unwilling to make contact as she stood close to Aina and faced the group.

"They gathered almost half the world's known remaining Burnish here. There were losses. Twenty thousand were needed to power the ship. What's more, if they've all lost their connection to the Promare's regenerative fire, they likely will not have had time to fully heal from the physical traumas of the past couple days."

Lio nodded with a shadowed look in his eyes. "The Promare did what they could before they left. But for a Burnish, the more damage sustained, the slower and more… layered the healing is." He tilted his head, trying to think how to explain. "Older damage will have had longer to heal, more recent things will still be in progress. Yesterday's wounds won't come back fresh, but they will need to finish healing, and they'll feel it. They need somewhere safe to rest."

"Evacuation and safe relocation with medical attention." Ignis confirmed. "That's exactly what Burning Rescue is trained for."

Sideros nodded. "Right. We'll leave you to run point. As we get the city further under control, we'll send you what assistance we can." And the police chief was off, giving rapid-fire directions to the voices giving her updates through her radio. She paused midstride and looked back over her shoulder at Heris.

"You were Kray's lead scientist. You clearly knew what was going on here. You should be in custody."

Heris raised her eyes for the first time and met Sideros' accusation. "I should be, but right now I'm of greatest use here. I know how to work the machinery. We need to free these people."

Sideros stared for only a second longer before shifting to nod at Ignis.

"Don't lose her."

Ignis nodded, then asked Aina to start getting on the line with Promepolis' other Burning Rescue stations to pull in their manpower. He turned to Heris as she began explaining what was required to unload the captive Burnish. Lio's face was carefully devoid of emotion as he listened to her describe getting to the loading room and the way they'd need to work section by section. She was flipping rapidly through programs and schematics on a tablet, and announced that about 200 of the pods' mechanics were damaged and would require manual aid, but the rest should be fairly straightforward to retract and offload. The pinch point would be having support teams and resources to give the weary captives aid.

Ignis turned to his team and with the efficiency of a practiced leader addressing a synced set of professionals, got everyone moving with orders and instructions to stay in constant communication. This was going to be a big job, and time was of the essence. Varys was running point on setting up security and coordination with the police. Remi was assigned to work with Heris on the release logistics and coordinating with the local hospitals for medical support. Galo would manage the retrieval of the Burnish from the broken pods using a special set of jetpacks and harnesses Lucia had invented for tricky rescues. Aina owned coordinating transportation and temporary shelter. As usual, Lucia was acting as comms coordinator and resource manager. Incoming Burning Rescue personnel from other stations would be allocated through these team leads.

As his squad quickly began contacting the needed city support branches and Heris plotted out a mechanical sequence for releasing the Burnish, Ignis turned to Lio.

"Anything we're missing that the Burnish will need?"

Ignis watched as Lio mentally ran through the scenario with a look of concentration.

"They're not used to trusting people in uniforms. They've been through a lot and need time to process and recover, and being directed by outsiders they're used to fearing will be one more stress point." Lio tapped his fingers against his thigh as he thought through the problem.

"I assume you'll want to be on the frontlines where the Burnish are being released from pods?"

Lio nodded and continued with a hint of bitterness in his tone. "I doubt they documented the names of the _disposable fuel_ the put in each container. But if we can get all the Mad Burnish members from the recently destroyed settlement released first, we can see if they're in a state to partner with the rescue teams. We need some familiar faces to reassure the rest of the people being released."

Ignis' estimation of the Burnish leader increased as he understood the sensitive and sensible nature of the suggestion. He called Heris over and in under a minute, she had located the section holding most of the Burnish recently captured from the nearby settlement and set it to priority one. She returned to update Remi. Lio flicked his gaze back to Ignis with a nod of thanks and turned to follow, but the fire captain halted him with a hand on his shoulder. Ignis could feel the immediate tension that filled the small frame, so he let go.

Ignis knew this day had been exhausting for all of them, but he could only begin to imagine what fallout Lio was dealing with. He'd manifested as a fire dragon, powered a battle mech, fought a monster, channeled twenty thousand Burnish fires, and done something none of them really understood in order to release the Promare and save the world. And that was only what Ignis knew about. On top of that, he'd lost his means of protection and recovery in the process, and now had to rely on strangers he was naturally distrustful of to rescue the people he clearly cherished more than his own life.

In a very quiet tone, Ignis asked, "What do _you_ need?"

Lio gave him a baffled look that quickly morphed to suspicion.

"I'm the leader of Mad Burnish. I attacked your city twice in the last couple weeks, I almost burned the whole thing down. I understand it's your job to rescue the innocent people on this ship, but why ask about _me_?" Lio questioned bluntly, challenging, like he was calling Ignis out.

Ignis felt his lips quirk but something sad settled in his chest at this reaction. He crossed his arms and thought about how his offer of help might be best received.

"Yes, you attacked. You could have killed many through intention or indifference, but you didn't. Those Burnish flames were non-lethal, and I know that takes willpower. You wanted to make a statement, not slaughter people, and that's more than I can say for those you fought against. Then you went a step further and saved one of my team. Not to mention the world. So, if anything, I'd say we owe you."

Lio looked away for a moment, clearly still unsettled by Ignis' observations, trying to find the real motive for his concern. Then his face cleared.

"Don't worry, I won't take Galo up on it," Lio nodded to the edge of the Parnassus where Galo had declared for all to hear that they would rebuild together and he'd have Lio's back. "I know that wasn't his offer to make."

"I'm the captain and what I say goes. That offer stands from my team." Ignis smiled as Lio blinked up at him in surprise. "Besides, have you ever tried to stop Galo?"

Lio's whole demeanor shifted as he laughed, a sound that drew Galo's gaze from where he was setting up jetpacks and rescue harnesses by the still-toppled Rescuemobile. _Hoo-boy_, Ignis thought at the goofy grin that spread across the junior firefighter's distracted face.

"My lieutenants. Meis and Gueira," Lio stated, finally sort-of answering Ignis' question. "I need them. They're in the same section as the Burnish from the settlement."

Ignis nodded and called his blue-haired idiot over.

"Galo, you remember Meis and Gueira from when we captured the Mad Burnish leaders?"

"Of course!"

"We need them extracted and brought here _top priority_. Grab a hover pack and check with Heris for general coordinates."

"You got it, captain!" and with a happy smile to Lio that Lio returned with a small one of his own, Galo was off again.

When he returned less than a couple minutes later and released the two other Mad Burnish leaders from their harnesses, Ignis grabbed Galo by the arm, nodded to Lio, and hauled his junior away to get a Burning Rescue team status report, giving the reunited trio some privacy.

"Boss!"

Lio didn't bother to hide his immense relief when his closest allies-and friends-ran over upon release. He threw his arms around their necks and pulled them into a fierce hug as soon as they reached him, pressing his face between theirs. All the intensity of Lio's recent worries and fears crashed into him, and he refused to let Meis and Gueira go until he was certain he could control his face and the moisture fighting to free itself from his eyes. They held him back just as tightly.

Lio took a deep, steadying breath, and leaned back just enough to look in their faces.

"You idiots!" he hiss-yelled. "What were you thinking separating us like that?! I would never leave you guys!"

Gueira grinned shamelessly and ruffled Lio's hair. "We know that."

Meis raised a brow, unapologetic. "That's why we did it."

Lio glared harder and his lieutenants pretended they didn't see the tremor that ran through his lips before he spoke.

"Are you guys okay?" Lio released his hold but stood close, crossing his arms and speaking more quietly.

"Felt better, but seem to be all in one piece," Meis smiled.

"We knew it would be okay as soon as we heard you attack the ship the first time, knew nothing could stop you, Boss," Gueira gave a thumbs up. "Sounded like it took a few tries?"

Lio's mouth twisted. "The first time wasn't well planned out. I wasn't… quite myself. That other idiot _did_ stop me, but later we were more successful together." Lio quirked his head to indicate Galo, who was currently ranting to the Burning Rescue team about the state of the Burnish he had just seen and stressing the urgency of freeing them. And something about his burning soul, of course. Lio smiled slightly.

Meis and Gueira exchanged a look trying to imagine how the boisterous firefighter had managed to stop Lio when it _wasn't_ planned like their first encounter.

Meis studied Lio carefully. "We saw him save you. After that awful…" He grimaced and stopped talking, then, "Your fire was protecting him." Lio noticed he and Gueira exchange a look as if they wanted to say more, but shook their heads as if deciding against it.

"It's all gone, isn't it," Gueira stated rather than asked, opening his palm and staring when no fire appeared.

Lio felt very, very tired. He looked at his companions, wondering if the haunted look in their eyes was reflected in his own. He knew they felt the disturbing stillness inside, too.

"Turns out it wasn't ours to begin with." His tone was a steady murmur as he described what they had learned about the Promare. They nodded in resignation at the explanation of what they had just felt through experience.

"Well. At least they seemed really happy," Gueira gave a brave smile as he referenced the emotion all the Burnish had felt through their empathetic bond as the Promare finally, finally burned free. "We sent them off right!"

Meis gave a contemplative nod, hand to his heart. "It's… peaceful, finally."

Lio looked down for a moment. He knew these guys felt the loss and the cold and the unfamiliar vulnerability, but they were still putting a positive spin on it. He knew they were doing it for him. He really didn't deserve these two.

But this wasn't about him.

"We're not done yet." Lio met their eyes with resolve and saw it instantly reflected in Meis and Gueira's faces. He glanced at the Burning Rescue team nearby. "And we're not alone."

"Working with the uniforms, eh?" Gueira sent them an unimpressed look, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"You want to free thousands of our people all by yourself?" Meis nudged his shoulder.

Gueira pursed his lips and then, pointing at Lio's attire, yelled to the group gathered a little distance away, "Oi! Where do we get one of these ugly-ass coats?!"

Once things were in motion, they happened blessedly quickly and took on a rhythm. Lio knew that was a testament to the Burning Rescue team's competency and good will. Well, there was a reason he had originally chosen them as the unit that would capture his team so they could execute their prison break.

Before dispersing to their active tasks, Meis and Gueira paused in their playful ribbing of each other's new outerwear to march over to Galo, as if to confront him. Lio pretended not to overhear them instead thanking their former opponent for saving "the boss" when Kray had nearly killed him in the engine. And he had no idea what they meant when they told Galo not to get any "fresh ideas" before giving him a friendly punch on the shoulder. His guys were weird.

Lio also tried to ignore the way the little female member of the team was gleefully eyeing all three Mad Burnish, her fingers twitching.

"Why is the scary little girl grinning at us like that," Meis whispered.

Galo grinned. "Lucia likes making things! I think you've inspired her." As if that explained everything. Meis and Gueira just looked more unsettled.

Lio brought up the rear as the Mad Burnish joined Heris, Remi, and Ignis in descending back into the ships innards. He took one last deep breath of fresh air with a look at the horizon, and then descended the hatch. He had barely made it to the bottom of the ladder when sudden pain bloomed along his left shoulder blade. Right hand reaching over to hold the weight of his arm for a moment, Lio realized what was happening and tried to remember what had caused this particular resurfacing injury. Ah. When the Burnish settlement had been attacked, a block of concrete had fallen against his back before he'd had a chance to create a protective flame barrier. He'd barely felt it at the time, the pain passing swiftly as inner fire dulled and set to mending. It's return settled as a persistent ache that spoke of a bad bruise, but likely nothing worse. Lio dropped his hand and hurried his steps to catch up with the group. The fact that his Promare healing was that backlogged wasn't great, but at least he now had a basic time window of reference. Lio fingered the sturdy cloth of the Burning Rescue jacket, grateful that it would help him avoid awkward conversations. And he was probably imagining it, but Galo seemed to have left some of his warmth in its layers.

All warmth fled when their pathway turned and led them along the border of the massive central engine chamber. The rows of prisons, the shattered diamond at its center, the hushed echoes. Lio felt like he'd been plunged into ice water as his heart leapt into his throat. He barely registered the whimpers and murmurs that echoed his people's discomfort throughout the hollow space before a feeling-memory blindsided him.

_Pain, pain, endless waves of agony flooded through him until it was all one ocean bursting out of him, tearing apart-_

"Don't worry, you'll all be free soon!" Galo's voice jarred Lio free from the flashback and he was able to breath again. The matoi-loving firefighter was descending into the area on a jetpack. "Mad Burnish and Burning Rescue are here for prison break 2.0! Keep your souls burning for your bright future!" He spotted Lio and waved gleefully before heading for the first broken pod. Somehow, a relieved smile had found its way onto Lio's face, and he wondered what kind of magic Galo possessed to summon it so easily regardless of the circumstances.

"Heris, is there a way to address everyone?" Lio asked the scientist. He had very mixed feelings about her, but knew there wasn't time for anything but cooperation for now.

She nodded and with a few taps to her datapad, handed it to Lio who spoke into it as they continued to hurry forward.

"Burnish." Lio's familiar voice projected across the vast space and the captives quieted. "I know your suffering, but also your strength. Have courage. We're going to release everyone as fast as possible." Lio continued to describe the mechanical process of going section by section, promising rest and medical treatment, and explaining Galo's role in manually releasing those with broken pods. "Burning Rescue fought on our behalf, and they're here to help us. Let them. I'll see you soon." Lio concluded and handed the pad back to Heris as they entered an enormous white room packed with mechanical apparatus and conveyor belts, lined with tunnel openings the size of the pods.

Heris activated the machinery and less than a minute later, the first pods were being offloaded. Within five minutes, additional rescue workers and medical teams arrived and set up triage and processing stations in the space with Remi's guidance. Remi had set up an open video comms channel in the room so the whole rescue team could see this focal point of their operation at all times.

Lio tuned out everything else as he looked in the faces of each of the rapidly disembarking people from the settlement he'd most recently stayed at. Coordinating with Meis, Guiera, and the rescue workers to make sure the newly released were physically supported, and humanizing the mechanical process through touch, eye contact, and voice, handing the tired, scared, sore people to the rescue workers with reassurances and explanations of what to expect next. As other members of his Mad Burnish gang were freed, he made sure they were checked out. Then all of them chose to return and man the offloading bays and help the next people disembarking. In half an hour, the operation was in full swing and the first section of 1,000 had been freed. Aina had a whole fleet of hover crafts picking up Burnish and taking them topside where temporary tents had been set up while they looked for potential shelter options.

But it wasn't all sighs of relief.

Within the first minutes, the extent of the human abuse was vividly evidenced for all to see.

While all were sore and exhausted, there were a fair amount of Burnish with injuries that had been sustained and poorly cared for prior to being strapped into the pods. Some were no longer conscious.

Aina's gasp was audible on the open comms when the pod with the first child, a small girl, catatonic and limp, whirred into the room. She only offered a response when Lio went to her, carefully placed a hand on her head, and stroked down along her cheek, earning her eye contact.

"Mari. It's okay now."

Without removing physical or visual contact, he reached with his other hand to manually pull the release, supporting her body as it dropped free. Shaking arms snaked around his neck and he simply held her while pods continued flashing into the room and being emptied.

As he walked her over to a medical station, murmuring quietly into her ear, he made eye contact with as many of the rescue workers as possible, to make sure they _saw_. Both for recognition of the despicable situation, and to silently demand that they follow his example in caring for the children.

But it was the first empty pod that made Lio go still. A small pile of drifting ash remained on the bottom, particles fluttering through the air. The silence he'd been trying to ignore inside him seemed to grow until it was all he could hear. He felt Gueira and Meis each put a hand on his shoulder as they came up behind him.

"Lio?" Galo quietly questioned, obviously keeping an eye on things in the loading room as he continued with his rescue efforts in the main part of the ship.

Lio took a deep breath. Instead of answering him, Lio spoke the final rites of the Burnish that Galo had heard him offer in the cave a week ago. When he finished and turned, he realized Ignis and Remi were standing solemnly nearby in a respectful stance. Taking a moment despite the ongoing near-chaos around them demanding their attention. He held their eye contact for a minute, reading, needing the reminder that there were those who valued human life without exception. Those who protected and rescued. Needing to quell the urge to push away those whose help they still needed, to not grab the Burnish and run.

"Is there any way to know… who…" Remi started, but Lio shook his head.

"We'll know when we know who is missing." Lio kept his tone flat.

Heris looked empty as she spoke brokenly, "I'll… set these ones aside so… later we can collect…"

Lio walked away before she could finish and stepped up to the next pod that docked, returning to the task at hand, offering help to those who could still receive it. He counted though. In the first thousand person section, there were 32 previously occupied pods that arrived empty.

The cold inside was getting harder to ignore, but at least it drew his attention away from the ache in his shoulder. Lio knew that no matter what happened, he couldn't let his own discomfort show. All of the Burnish were suffering, some shivering some burning with sudden fever, as their bodies struggled to remember how to regulate temperature themselves, overcompensating in both directions. Lio suppressed his own shivers-compared to an Absolute Zero Bullet, this was practically warm-and made an effort to appear easily upright and confidently relaxed yet focused.

_We'll be okay without our fire._ He willed the message with his words and posture.

While Lio was not in a charitable mood at the moment, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't grateful for the enveloping presence of the Burning Rescue 3 members throughout this ordeal.

Ignis managed to simultaneously keep on top of his team's operations and act as point of contact for the national and international agencies who were trying to address issues from the volcanic and Promare activity worldwide. Lio felt his guard around Ignis slowly go down as the rescue leader regularly consulted with him about decisions that would affect the Burnish. He and Aina reported that they had found a couple of recently completed residential highrises that they could use for immediate shelter, and asked Lio what the Burnish would want for comfort besides the usual living supplies. Lio asked that they provide ways for the Burnish to adjust the room temperatures, either through the built-in HVAC systems or portable units. They understood, acting on the request immediately, and didn't comment when Lio offered them his first "thank you".

One of the best parts of working with Burning Rescue, Lio discovered, was the banter that was constantly shooting back and forth between its members, somehow keeping energy and hope high despite the circumstances, which soothed those they rescued as well. It seemed to help the team coordinate, too. Lio let it wash over him and gave his first slight smile since they started the unloading process when Meis and Gueira began to occasionally join in.

Lio _listened_ for Galo's voice, though. He was regularly giving inspiring, passionate commentary, and announcing each time another Burnish had been manually rescued. For some reason, it both eased the tight feeling in his chest and granted a spark of much needed energy to push against the severe fatigue that clawed at the edge of Lio's consciousness.

Two hours in, they had managed to release and provide immediate care for a quarter of the trapped Burnish, and many were already being situated in their temporary dwellings.

"Lio," Ignis called him away from the check-in he was doing one-by-one with his Mad Burnish members, sending a couple who were worse for the wear to rest. "One of our lines has been hacked by people from several different countries, as far as I can tell, who are identifying themselves as Burnish leaders. They refuse to speak to anyone other than Lio Fotia." Ignis raised a brow.

"Wow!" Galo's face appeared on comms. "Do you know everybody?"

Lio could feel that traitorous Galo-induced smile appear on his face and transform into a smirk as he quipped, "We're more coordinated than you think." But would say no more until he had the line patched through to a private channel on his own comms device. With a nod to Meis and Gueira, who were holding up admirably well because of course they were, Lio walked out of the room into a quiet hallway. He waited to turn the corner completely out of sight and auditory range before speaking to those on the call.

He didn't realize it would be such a relief to hear that the small settlements of Burnish who had remained free around the world were by and large okay. They had even found a way to contact him despite their usual system being unavailable.

It took him the better part of half an hour to explain everything he knew, and the responses were shocked and varied. It was hard to tell what part of the news was the most upsetting, but there were some sentiments of cautious relief, tinged with a kind of grief Lio understood deep in his soul. They agreed on a communication protocol for the present, to keep updated. Then Lio paused.

"It is going to be very different now, but not everything will change at once. The Burnish condition is gone, but... the lives we've lived have been different from anyone else. Our experiences are our identity. That _Burnish_ is still us. Many of us are here in Promepolis for the time being. If any Burnish want aid or protection… we'll find a way to take them in here."

Lio wasn't able to decipher any meaning from the outpouring of voices on the line, as a violent reminder of his incomplete healing from the past couple days chose that moment to tear through him.

He gasped when a shock of intense cold flew up his right side, then couldn't breathe at all as the next blow brought him to the ground. It was like someone had punched an icy fist right through his heart. He lost vision completely as it froze his lungs and dug unrelenting, frigid claws across nearly his whole body.

The experience of being shot with an Absolute Zero Bullet was unforgettable, so he recognized the source for this backlash instantly.

But it was _worse_. Worse than the first time, because now there was nothing fighting against it, nothing resisting the icy burn with a familiar internal warmth, nothing protecting his living body from the deadly cold. The residual power of the Promare that had kept consequences contained while this healing took place was gone, and all that was left were cells crying in pain as they had to take on a burden they were ill-equipped for.

When he was finally able to pull air into his lungs, it took everything in him not to immediately release it as a scream.

The ache settled deep into his core, his bones. He could feel his heart racing in protest as it tried to battle the urge to slow down with the cold.

Lio didn't know how long he lay there on his back as one tsunami of shivers after another worked their way down his body. He knew exactly how long it took to push himself up on shaking arms. Scooting over to the wall, it took an eternity to pull himself up with the handrail, uncooperative legs wanting to lock up and collapse everytime the blizzard tore through his body.

But he stood.

And instinctively closed his eyes to reach for the strength that had never failed him before. That would make the cold stop.

But it wasn't there.

His eyes slowly opened and he stood utterly still, frozen in more ways than one.

Except he must not be actually frozen, because it was water, salty but definitely not solid, that trickled its way down his cheeks. A drop fell and hit his hand. A hand with no fire. A cold hand.

But he could still hear their voices. Wait, no, the flames had never had this kind of voice, the kind that made sound. Lio's eyes followed the sound automatically and saw a comms device lying on the floor, persistent chattering still flowing from it, although it took another moment before he could understand what they said.

"-don't know, try again, it just went quite, keep trying, no, don't loose the line it took us two hours to get this one-"

The voices were tied to faces in his mind. The faces of people. His people. And Lio took a sudden deep breath that immediately turned into a cough and ached so badly, but he kept a fierce grip on his focus.

Made his body move.

Picked up the device.

Cleared his throat.

"Sorry about that." Breathe. "I- have to go." Breathe. "Talk to your communities. Stick to the comms protocol we discussed." Breathe. "I'll check in soon."

Closed the line.

Wiped his face.

By the time he walked out of the hallway and back into the loading room, Lio thought he was doing a pretty good job of seeming normal. If he clenched his whole body when a piercing wave of cold flowed through him, he managed not to outright shiver. While giving Gueira and Meis a quick update on the Burnish worldwide, he ignored the probing looks they gave him. Acting normal was the best reassurance, he figured.

But hour after hour, it was hard to keep up outward appearances. The cold didn't stop. Everytime he thought he had gotten used to the feeling, it seemed to settle deeper and spread relentlessly outward from his chest. Just like the bullet had originally, only this time slower. He clenched his teeth to stop them from chattering. Grabbed some heat packs from the med supply when no one was looking and slotted them into the inner pockets of the jacket he wore, but he barely felt their radiating warmth. It didn't really matter, though. There was no way he was leaving his people again, wouldn't stop until every last one was free and safe. So he just steeled his resolve further and continued on.

When a coffee supply and packaged snacks were brought for the rescue workers, Ignis and Lio both agreed their team members should take breaks in shifts. Lio almost felt betrayed, though, when Ignis nodded to Meis and Gueira, who immediately hauled their boss away for some hot coffee and a few minutes of rest.

It was while he was sipping some of the scalding fluid, willing it's heat further into his chest, reluctantly grateful, that Lio felt a splintering pain radiate throughout his upper body. Recalling how Vulcan's fist had smashed into his ribs minutes after he'd shot him, Lio didn't have to question where this damage came from as Promare healing unwound further from his body. Recently fused but still fragile and tender cracks wound their way through the bones of his ribcage, and Lio choked on the coffee he was drinking.

The resulting coughing did not help the situation, shooting sharp spikes through his torso with every violent contraction of lungs. When he caught his breath at last and looked up into the worried faces of his two Mad Burnish leaders, feeling their hands patting his back and supporting his shoulders, he smiled weakly.

"Went down the wrong tube."

"Boss, maybe you should rest a little longer."

"I'm fine. We're almost done."

They were, in fact, about two-thirds of the way through clearing the engine pods. But the next hour bordered on being unbearable for Lio. More partially healed bone fractures appeared next in the arm Vulcan had punched. It began to take a lot of his attention to breathe normally while each inhale-exhale ached fiercely, and to not show any blatant favoritism to his right arm. And bracing himself for the swells of cold that seemed to be coming more frequently now.

"Lio, how's it going?" Galo's voice broke through Lio's pattern of brace, breathe; brace, reach; brace, clench for shiver, as he continued helping Burnish from their prisons.

Lio blinked at the comms image of Galo's face directed at his unit alone. "Fine?"

"I don't think I've heard your voice for a whole hour! Maybe you should take a break?"

Lio pressed his lips together actually considering, before shaking his head. "We're almost done, and how many of the Burnish have been waiting for hours to be freed? I'm just a little tired, same as everyone." And if he stopped now, he might not be able to start again.

"How is it going on your end?" Lio changed the subject.

Galo's grin was still bright even though Lio could see the fatigue there as well.

"Good! Only got 30 left in these broken pods, should be done within the next couple hours!"

Lio's smile was genuine and grateful. "Thank you for helping them."

He took a moment to look around and realized that everything had been going smoothly here for quite awhile. They were down to the last two thousand, and would likely be done within the hour.

"Actually. We're almost done here. I'll come help you. It'll go twice as fast with both of us."

Galo gave an enthusiastic reply with a shameless Galo de Lion teamwork reference and said he'd grab another jetpack for him. Lio couldn't keep the amusement from his voice as he confirmed and cut the call.

With a quick update to the team, Lio walked swiftly out of the room onto a platform walkway that ran behind the pod banks in the direction of Galo and the last broken units.

This scene change seemed prudent because it had occurred to Lio what was likely coming next in the whole sequential dismantling of his fire-healing systems thing. And that would probably be harder to hide in a room full of people and very bright lights.

Although he preferred that location to being back in this horrible haunted cavern. He looked at the now mostly empty rows around the engine hall as he walked. His pace seemed to slow until it felt like he was walking through molasses. This place still felt saturated with suffering to him. Each scream of pain from the people who had filled this space felt like it was being carved into his veins again, competing with the ice that now seemed to flow endlessly from his chest. Anxiety pressed down on him. The Burnish may not have the Promare any longer, but they still needed protecting in this world, he wasn't naïve enough to believe otherwise. And he knew he couldn't really rely on that protection coming from anyone but himself. Not long-term.

Lio passed the center of the ship, and his eyes locked on the sinister broken diamond. Even the sunlight flowing in from the roof couldn't seem to push away the dark shadows that crept into his vision as he jerked to a stop, staring. Dizzy, Lio clutched the railing. His throat squeezed closed. And then he wasn't seeing anything at all as-

-_the pain of thousands channeled through him and it hurt it hurt IT HURT. _

A stab of ice sliced through and broke him from his momentary suffocation.

_It's just in your mind. That's not happening right now._

But the ice inside was real and he couldn't move as his body seized up, shuddering without stopping. And then the pain was replaced by fear, and panic flooded his consciousness, because _ice meant danger, they were being hunted, captured, he needed to run, fight, escape from the entombing ice_.

A faint voice echoed from far to his left, a sound that sent a gentle, soothing thaw at the edges of his mind. It brought up an image of a face like the sun that slowly unwound his panic until he was able to see again.

Galo. Though far away and out of sight, Lio could hear him talking kindly and encouragingly to someone he was saving, the sound echoing throughout this vast space. Saving Lio, too.

Lio slumped over, resting his head on the arms he'd propped up on the railing. Bringing himself back to the moment. Galo's voice reassuring him that it would be alright. Even at this distance, he could feel that man's shine.

It made Lio feel vulnerable, the way Galo could so easily make him _believe_. In every encounter since they'd met, Galo had turned the moments of dark doubt and despair inside of Lio to a hope he realized he had forgotten. How?

It was unnervingly easy for Lio to summon Galo's image to mind. Intensely honest blue eyes he couldn't look away from, a grin that momentarily made Lio feel warm despite the ice currently coursing through his veins. Somehow, it was easier to breathe, something straining inside of him eased.

Lio lifted his head.

If he wasn't careful, that comfort could lull him into a peace that wasn't real, a rest he knew he couldn't afford. He rubbed a hand across his face and then leaned into his palm, thinking. What would it take for his people to be truly safe?

Safe.

He felt a prickle along the edge of his eyes at the first thing that came to mind. He imagined what it would be like for Galo's arms to surround him, to rest against his chest. For a moment he just let himself imagine that, a sense of safety settling across his shoulders. Imagined reaching higher until he was pressing his cheek to Galo's.

With a gasp, Lio opened his eyes, heart beating an irregular staccato as he realized what he'd been thinking.

He pushed away from the railing and willed his feet forward. He shook his head as his heartbeat evened out but retained the rapid tempo as he realized he was about to see the one he'd just been thinking of.

He had just reached the final section of the ship when Galo descended from a hole in the roof, expertly steering his jet pack towards a pod that hung slightly crooked and clearly jammed. The incoming rescuer halted as soon as he saw Lio standing on the walkway nearby, and Lio tangibly felt the sunshine hit him with Galo's welcoming smile.

"Lio!" With a joyfilled exclamation, Galo swooped down and landed by Lio whose answering smile was automatic.

Galo rested a hand on his shoulder and just looked at him for a minute, until Lio raised an eyebrow. "Perfect timing!" the firefighter finally continued, beginning to explain the rescue operations for the final 27 Burnish.

Lio nodded, then made a suggestion.

If it took time to free them from the pods and time to fly them up and out, it would be easier for one of them to release them, and the other to fly them up top. Galo's enthusiasm for this tag team set up was unmistakable.

"But should it be Lio de Galon or Galo de Lion?" he puzzled.

It was scary that Lio realized what Galo meant.

"I'll free them. They know me. You take them up."

Galo helped him into the spare hover pack, and though Lio couldn't help gripping Galo's steadying arm more tightly as the bigger man secured it around his aching chest, he succeeded in keeping his face emotionless. Or so he thought, until Galo asked him if he was alright.

"Fine." Lio said without meeting his eyes. Then he paused. "I used to be able to do this kind of thing without a machine." He zipped up the high collar of his jacket and launched himself to a damaged pod. Galo paused, then followed a moment later.

It was no surprise that they easily fell into a natural rhythm. But as Galo departed with the third Burnish freed, Lio felt a throb in his jaw that a moment later exploded into full on blinding pain as that bone resumed its fractures, only partially knit back together over the past few days. And once it started, Lio could count the number of percussive explosions shattering through bones and tissues, paralleling the number of times the sadistic Freeze Force general had smashed his metallic fist into the Mad Burnish leader's face before his friends had stepped in to stop him.

By the time it stopped, Lio was leaning heavily against the wall of the empty pod he was still in. He raised a shaking hand to the right side of his face, which had sustained the most damage. He was pretty sure all the bones in the lower half of his face were cracked. Jaw, cheekbone, and nose all in place but electric with pain as he gently ran his fingertips over them. He could feel the swelling and feverish heat of bruising from his eye socket down through his collar bone. His breath came in hissing gasps through his teeth as he weathered the initial pain.

A couple minutes must have passed, because he could hear Galo returning. Lio tugged his tall collar back up and combed his hair forward to give his right eye as much shadow coverage as possible. Then he propelled himself from the pod before Galo reached him.

"Sorry, had to take a call." Lio called over his shoulder to excuse his slowness, struggling a bit to make the words come clearly as the pain and swelling in his face made it difficult to work his mouth as usual.

"Oh. Sure." Galo accepted the explanation easily and didn't seem to think twice about the fact that he only saw the left side of Lio's face as they worked the next Burnish free together. This captive was unconscious, so Galo hurried topside without another word and Lio flew to the next pod.

He almost fell when he landed as his body strongly protested its current state. Pain and cold were now so all-present that it was hard to know what exactly to tune out in order to keep pushing forward. To coordinate limbs. Speckles of black dotted his vision.

Still. He managed. Spoke quietly to those he freed, pulled the manual levers for each limb shackle, supported their weight as best he could until he could hand them off to Galo. It took a little longer for Galo to make a full roundtrip than for Lio to free a captive, so he found a few moments to rest through the physical repercussions with each Burnish release.

This place once more flooded his mind with screams and they never stopped now, they just ebbed and flowed with his labored breathing as his movements became automatic.

And he made it. The final Burnish freed. As Galo flew away with the last one, calling back a parting promise to see him up top, Lio fell to his knees, hand clutching at the entrance edge of the pod's floor. He stared into the darkness below. Tried to figure out how it could be silent and filled with screams at the same time. He drifted.

"-io! Lio, is everything okay?"

Lio startled at Galo's voice coming from his pocket and sluggishly pulled his comms device out.

"Yeah." Was all he managed to respond.

Galo was saying something, but it was just sounds without meaning, so he didn't know what to say back. He heard Meis and Gueira's voices, too, but they didn't make sense, either. The device slipped from his fingers and fell into the shadows below.

He needed to get up but now the blackness from the chasm below him was creeping up until it surrounded everything he could see. He clutched the edge of the wall, pulling until his legs were under him. The blackness chased him, closed in on his vision as he stood.

He heard that voice again, the important one, and looked up. Let go of the wall to reach out his hand. But the darkness closed the door on his vision; the last thing he saw was a look of desperate panic in eyes as blue as the sky before he fell and knew no more.

* * *

Rambles you can skip:

This whole thing has been written (about 60k words). I've outlined and done some key scene drafting for two sequels. I'll post as frequently as I can manage to edit. I am DEFINITELY looking for some beta reading support, because I have little confidence that things make sense when I write a draft.

I've tried to keep my distance from fandom HC discussions because I wanted total mental freedom to look at things with as unfiltered a perspective as possible. It's not a problem most people have, but I tend to get creatively stuck if I take in too many of other peoples' ideas. Makes me sad, though, because I'd like to just geek out about things, too.

That said, fanfiction is a derivative work, and we're all going to come up with many of the same themes and ideas, and that's totally okay and fun to see the plays on variation. I probably am doing a lot of things in my story that have already been done by others, but as long as it's still fun to read, that's all good. I did NOT try to take anything from anyone else's work, though, so if you see parallels, please know it's just a coincidence inherent in creating in the same space. I'll credit anything I intentionally reference.

Eh, I am on Twitter (and currently only Twitter) akadoreengreene, but I mostly just retweet the Promare art that is inspiring me as I write and post occasional tweets about writing. Omg, there is so much good Promare fanart, I just feel so blessed to see it and intensely admire the artists, so it's really hard to show restraint when retweeting. I've tried to be slightly more friendly recently about talking to people, but mostly I'm like a hedgehog curled into my spiky ball.

Th-thanks for reading this chapter! ^^;;;


	2. Fractures

Galo flew free from the Parnassus for what he hoped would be the last time.

He released the final captive Burnish from the support harness and handed her gently with a smile and a supportive arm to the waiting medical staff. Galo took a deep breath as he pulled off his jet pack. Contentment and relief momentarily held back the weariness that was pressing insistently against his back. The sun was low in the sky, but it still seeped a warm red glow through his eyelids as he closed them for a moment.

The world was safe. The Burnish were safe. Recovering. That was enough for one day. All he wanted now was to sleep. He wasn't even going to bother going back to his apartment, he'd just crash at the closer Burning Rescue station and be able to sleep-in longer without needing to commute in the morning. Probably wouldn't even make it to his bunk, was just going to crash on the couch….

Once more, his imagination took over and fixated on one thing. He had only seen hints so far, of Lio's edges becoming less rigid in quiet moments or somehow melding with his own to become immeasurably strong, but what would Lio be like now that the threats and struggles were done? This last hour, he had seemed even more exhausted than Galo felt.

Galo's heart sped up in a completely different way from battle or rescue mode as his mind painted a picture. Lio, sleepy and soft, finally able to relax. Maybe he could actually figure out why everything with Lio felt so... different from anything else. It seemed natural in this daydream to pull the slender figure down with him as he collapsed on the sofa. A precious treasure to hold while falling asleep, a welcome weight like a blanket draped on top of him. Galo opened his eyes. That exact scenario might be unlikely, but after everything that had happened, he didn't want to be apart from Lio right now. Wanted to make _sure_ he was taken care of.

Speaking of which, where was that guy? Galo took another look around in case he had missed his arrival (unlikely), but didn't spy a pale green-blonde head anywhere. Had Lio gone back to the loading room? But, everyone else was already up here, even the last of the medical rescue teams, completing a final weary debrief before heading for a much deserved rest.

Galo pulled out his comms device. "Lio?"

No response, but Meis and Gueira looked over at Galo's query from where they had been leaning against one another, tired but listening intently to the med team leaders and Aina on the current details of the settled Burnish.

"Lio!" Galo walked back over to the edge of the giant hole he'd ascended from and peered down.

"Lio, is everything okay?"

Meis and Gueira began to move towards him and hastened their pace when a weak and breathy voice replied.

"Yeah." But nothing else.

"Lio, what's wrong?" Galo asked. He quickly slipped back into the jet pack he'd set aside as the two Mad Burnish lieutenants reached him and began making demands.

"Where did you leave him?"

"Go get the boss!"

And Galo jumped, cranking the jetpack as fast as it was supposed to go in confined spaces like this. As he approached the far end, a wave of unease filled him. He could make out that Lio was standing in the last pod they'd emptied, but instead of his usual elegant and upright posture, he was slumped over, gripping the wall.

"Lio!" He called, cranking the jets up a notch.

Lio lifted his face and a shot of real fear lanced through Galo. Lio looked so pale, and he was injured, and in _pain_-

Galo threw all caution to the wind as Lio let go of the wall, reached his hand out to the airborne firefighter, and dropped over the edge.

He plummeted.

And Galo's heart followed.

Instinct completely took over as Galo punched the controls into overdrive to intercept Lio's trajectory. He barely had time to pull up in the end, slamming awkwardly but not fatally into the ground. Lio's hover pack broke free and crashing off to the side. But Galo's arms were around Lio so nothing else mattered.

A Lio he almost didn't recognize.

The partner he had thought was fine just minutes before now hung limp, head falling back over Galo's supporting arm, exposing the worst bruising the firefighter had ever seen. Given his profession, that was saying something. A solid mass of black and purple stretched across half the delicate face, clearly indicating extensive fractures. The dark marks contrasted sharply with Lio's unnaturally white pallor, and continued down his neck, disappearing into the coat. Galo quickly pulled off a glove to feel for Lio's pulse at his throat. He found an unsteady one, but far more concerning was the cold temperature-a deadly temperature measured from a normal core of warmth like the neck.

After a moment of heart-rending shock, Galo didn't waste another. His hover pack was at maximum and he held Lio's body tightly flush against his own with the hope that some transference of heat might help in the few moments it took to get back to the surface.

The glances that were cast Galo's way at the sound of his returning jet pack turned into full attention as they took in the anguish on his face and the very unconscious Lio in his arms.

As Galo landed, the whole team rushed to his location, Ignis and Remi pulling along the two senior doctors they had been saying farewell to. Galo immediately dropped to his knees, carefully cradling Lio's body and lowering it to the ground.

"I don't- I don't know what happened, he was fine, and now he's- he's so cold and-" A choking feeling cut off his words as he babbled. Nevertheless, his trained hands had instinctively moved to action; one began gently prodding along the prominent bruising covering half of Lio's face, the other moved to the jacket's zipper to create better access to the injuries that trailed below the collar.

All movement from the group ground to a halt when the coat was finally thrown open.

The entire right side of Lio's exposed torso was darkened. The rescue team knew what they were looking at, could see the telltale marks where knuckles had struck flesh hard enough to break bone.

The marks on his left side seemed even more ominous. A deep blue patch with uneven edges marred the skin close to the heart, the unnatural azure color paling and spreading out across all the skin they could see, marked with streaks of white like cracks in ice.

Ignis lowered his sunglasses, as if that would change what he was seeing.

"Yesterday's wounds…" His voice was gruff and disbelieving, repeating Lio's earlier warning about the plight of the former Burnish.

A kind of grim horror settled on the group as they realized what had happened. They had seen examples of this all day, incomplete healing, but this was worse than any so far. The senior medical staff were already moving quickly to make an initial assessment, feeling with expert hands to gauge the extent of the damage.

Gueira and Meis looked as sick as Galo felt, but there was a rage there as well.

"It was that fucking Freeze Force bastard!" Gueira roared.

Meis glowered. "Of course he singled Lio out when he took down our settlement. As soon as he'd immobilized Boss, Vulcan began beating him in front of all of us."

"That absolute filth." Aina's seething comment summed up everyone's sentiments.

"After he shot him!" Gueira continued to rage.

"Shot him?!" several voices echoed at once.

"Yeah! With some absolute zero freezing bullet thing-he _gloated_ about it."

Heris gasped and all eyes turned to her.

"Absolute Zero was- they were developing it as fire fighting tech. A single unit could be deployed to dynamically take out the fire from a whole building. It consumed and transformed heat into ice." Her eyes traced the cracks laced across Lio's body in horror. "It was never meant to be used on _humans_."

Meis glared. "I'm getting really tired of hearing that kind of thing."

The chief doctor stood, tone urgent, "These have been here for hours. He needs a hospital _now_-" Aina, Remi and Varys set off racing for the nearest ambulance hover craft. "I'm surprised he's- no one can survive with this body temperature."

Galo sat back hard from where he had been hovering over Lio, suddenly unsteady.

"The fact that he's not shivering is not a good sign. But it's hard to know if there is internal bleeding that would worsen if we widely raise the temperature. We need a full diagnostic and med station."

Varys returned immediately with a stretcher. The large man was able to scoop up Lio's whole body with just his hands, and lift the stretcher solo. Galo bolted to his feet to follow as Varys hurried to where Aina had the hover craft booted up and Remi completed the onboard med station prep. In under a minute Lio had been loaded and secured, and no one argued when Meis, Gueira, and Galo joined the doctors in the emergency craft. With a quick comment that they'd follow, Ignis sent them off.

The only thing worse than waiting was waiting in a hospital, Galo decided. Especially when you had no idea about the fate of someone important to you.

Galo dug his hands into his hair, head lowered, one leg jiggling a mile a minute as he sat in the cursed _waiting_ room. He didn't even bother trying to do the calm breathing exercise Varys had previously taught him to help with impulse control.

He couldn't turn off the image of Lio's graceful form violated with wounds; couldn't stop feeling the slight, cold weight he'd carried in his arms; and most of all, couldn't clear the sight of Lio's eyes, muted in suffering, asking for help, moments before he toppled to what would have been his death.

Galo brought his palms down over his eyes and pressed, shoulders bunched tight as he held in a scream.

Galo had _rescued_ Lio that morning, after one of the most terrifying moments of his life. Lio should have been okay. That's what happens when you rescue someone. And yet…

Lio wasn't okay. He had been in pain for _hours_.

While Galo understood the logistics of what was happening, he still didn't understand _what _had happened. Lio had been injured _for hours_? And Galo hadn't even noticed? No one had? Lio must have been in agony, why would he hide it? Why hadn't Galo seen it?

Galo was so deep in the turmoil of his thoughts that he didn't even notice when the rest of BR3 arrived. He was torn from his mental spiral when a heavy hand fell on his shoulder. He looked up at Ignis, whose grim expression softened when he got a look at Galo's face. Turning without letting go of the younger man's shoulder, Ignis addressed Meis and Gueira.

"Any update?"

They paused in their fury-filled pacing. Lio's two closest friends shook their heads, arms crossed and lips pressed tightly together.

Aina took a shaky breath from where she sat beside Galo. "They're trying to figure out-"

As if summoned, a doctor in a traditional white coat walked over to the anxiety-filled group.

"You're here for Lio Fotia?" She asked, clipboard in hand. At Ignis' nod she continued. "Any next of kin or power of attorney?"

Galo jumped to his feet, tears in his eyes. "What?" Did that mean-

The doctor held up a placating hand, realizing what her words might have implied.

"We've got him reasonably steady for now, but we do need to know who to talk to about his care."

"We're Boss's family." Gueira scowled.

At the doctor's skeptical look, Ignis jumped in.

"Doctor. Your patient has been living as a Burnish, ah, refugee and isn't registered in any normal way through our legal systems. However, as the leader of the city rescue team who brought him in, I take responsibility for his situation. Everyone present can hear what you disclose."

The doctor sighed. "Yes, we've had a lot of Burnish today. We're having to go beyond the book for a lot of things right now." And the look on her face told them they had a sympathetic ally.

With no further ado, she gave them the run down.

Extensive partially healed fractures to the arm, ribs, and face on the right side of his body. While there was likely internal bruising, there didn't seem to be any ongoing bleeding. They had bandaged and splinted what they could, and were trying to bring down the swelling and bruising. The rest would just take time, although faster than usual with the previous Burnish healing.

Her audience's momentary sense of relief evaporated as her brow creased and she looked at her notes again as if the information they held would change.

"Can you tell me how he sustained the wound near the heart?"

As Heris explained, the doctor's face assumed the strictly professional mask medical workers adopt to hide their shock or dismay, but her eyes snapped and she paused before speaking next.

"I guess that explains why we've never seen anything like it. We're applying heat packs to raise the temperature, but they don't seem as effective as we would expect. We just don't know enough about how the Burnish physiology may respond differently, especially as it adjusts to a new norm, and combined with the _unusual_ nature of the source... In any case, we've managed to raise his overall temperature beyond immediate danger, and we'll need to keep a close eye on it. Hopefully it will follow the pattern of the other Burnish symptoms we've seen today and start to abate with proper care."

"Can we see him?" Galo blurted, barely containing the stress of listening to these long and not very reassuring explanations.

"We're keeping him under for now, and it's still a sensitive time." She eyed Galo's desperate expression. "We can allow for a few visitors, briefly, but first we need to make sure we understand any other potential complications."

At their puzzled looks, she continued. "From what we've seen of our Burnish patients, the… rollback with their former way of healing is sequential, yes?"

Heris' mouth made a small 'oh' as she understood. "You want to know if further injuries were sustained after these?"

"Yes. This is a delicate situation and we'd like to avoid any nasty surprises."

Everyone looked at each other, and Meis, faced already strained, paled further. "We don't know, we weren't there." It sounded like it pained him to say it.

All eyes trained on Galo who had spent the most time with the Mad Burnish leader in the past couple days.

Galo, wide-eyed, tried to remember. "He was a dragon? And then-"

"A dragon?" The doctor deadpanned.

"Yeah, like, all made of fire, he was trying to free the Burnish captives here in the city… I don't know if that kind of thing will do anything."

The doctor, slightly shocked as she recalled the dragon that had rampaged through their streets, nodded and made a note.

"And then we fought a bit to calm down." The doctor raised an eyebrow at this but remained silently writing. "And then we fought together in a giant mech, but we didn't get hurt, because, _robot_. And then we got really cold because the gov-because Kray had an ice machine. And then he grabbed Lio really tight, but Lio saved me anyway… then Kray took him away…"

Galo looked down, stricken by the memory. Gueira filled in the next blank.

"We were just _stuck there_, while that bastard tied him up with that spiky wire. He liked hurting him, liked mocking all of us, laughing as he made us watch."

If the Burnish had still had access to their fire, everyone present was pretty sure the hospital would have been a burning crater from the rage on display.

"And then we were all hurting, and it got sucked into Lio and he was burning…" Meis all but whispered, remembered pain etched into his face.

Galo opened and closed his mouth twice before any sound came out. "He didn't survive. At first. But he came back. And then we were healing _everyone_." Galo's face brightened, then crumpled further. "I guess it didn't completely work."

The doctor lowered her pen. In a very calm voice she said, "That is… a lot. We'll need to be very careful to monitor any repercussions. One thing we've observed is that the more extensive the damage a Burnish has recently sustained, the less prior healing has been completed. Apparently, healing is a limited and time-bound resource, even for the Burnish."

Galo knew that already. Hadn't he seen Burnish die when their wounds overwhelmed their ability to restore?

It was a morose note to end on, but the doctor finally gave them permission to see Lio. She wouldn't budge on only four visitors for the day, though, so Aina, Heris, Lucia, Remi, and Varys said they'd head out, but requested any updates. Promised to check in the next day. Aina gave Galo a tight hug before she left, and then threw her arms around both Meis and Gueira as if she couldn't help but offer comfort in response to their pain. They seemed surprised but quickly returned the embrace.

The walk through various corridors and elevators was a blur to Galo, but all his senses sharpened when they finally arrived at the patient's door.

Galo couldn't quite process what he saw when he entered the room. It was like that first time when he had seen Lio hurt-a disjointed sense of wrongness.

Because Lio was larger than life, the most intense flame. His soul had always pushed insistently against Galo's when in his presence. Lio filled every space he entered, commanding it. So Galo almost couldn't comprehend when his eyes landed on a waifish figure swallowed by the size of a hospital bed, so pale he faded into the sheets.

One arm lay stiff in a cast, leaving the other slim appendage to receive numerous needles and tubes and monitor sensors. Lio wore no hospital gown, as bandages were wrapped around his chest, soothing compresses pressed to dark bruises on one side, and a double layer of heat packs piled on the other. A lightweight, medicated plaster dominated half his face. And though unconscious, that face was still tense as he shivered almost ceaselessly.

"I shouldn't have let Vulcan go," Ignis lamented angrily as the four approached Lio's trembling form. The others silently agreed.

Meis ran his fingers lightly up the cast and pulled one of the nearby chairs closer so he could sit and talk quietly by Lio's ear. Gueira pulled a second chair up and slotted his fingers through the ones peaking out from the stiff plaster wrappings, interjecting accusatory admonishments to Meis' insistent messages of encouragement.

Galo stood blankly staring, unable to bear sitting and unwilling to move away. He barely registered Ignis' brief touch and promise to return momentarily.

Air seemed to drag itself roughly through Galo's lungs with every breath, mocking his helplessness. His eyes tore away from Lio's pathetic form and observed Meis and Gueira, who, despite looking a potent combination of anger and grief, seemed controlled. Experienced. Like they were used to this sort of thing.

Ignis returned and proved once again that he was their greatest ally. He had managed a miracle, to get permission for the three of them to stay in Lio's room until he woke up. He'd even secured cots for the exhausted trio, hadn't even questioned that they would want to hold vigil.

He cleared his throat and crossed his arms, stance as immovable as when he faced down Vulcan.

"He'll need you here when he wakes up. He's clearly not making the best of decisions right now-" Meis snorted. "So don't let him do anything stupider before tomorrow, if you can manage that. And get some sleep or you'll be the next ones hooked up to IVs and monitors. Set a better example. Who knows, it might help."

At their nods and expressions of thanks, but no movement, the captain continued in his sternest tone.

"You two," he pointed at Meis and Gueira, who had an unhealthy pallor of their own, "In the cots. You're closest to needing medical intervention. Don't make yourselves hypocrites when you lecture your boss about appropriate self care. We'll let you know if anything changes with the Burnish situation. Galo, you can take first watch, but try to calm down enough to get some sleep, too."

"You do look awful," Meis quirked his one visible brow at Gueira.

"Funny, you look fine," Gueira riposted, "Except where you clearly walked into a door with your face." He pressed a finger at the dark circle under Meis' eye.

Shoving each other out of their chairs, they gave Lio's bandaged shoulder one final tender touch and continued to banter their way to where the cots had been set up towards the end of the room. It was a testament to their exhaustion that despite the stress of the last couple hours, they passed out as soon as they hit the sheets.

Ignis sighed. Galo looked at him, still feeling scared and lost. Ignis opened his arms, and that was all the prompting Galo needed. He threw his arms around his captain and held on. Ignis didn't say anything, just offered shelter.

When Galo finally pulled away, looking a bit calmer, Ignis simply said, "We'll get through this. Get some rest." With a final squeeze of the shoulder, he left.

Galo collapsed into one of the recently vacated bedside chairs. His eyes ran over the marred profile in front of him, tracing the soft contours until they disappeared under bandages, left to his bewildered thoughts.

It was impossible to ignore how strongly he felt about Lio, when seeing him hurt felt this terrible. A particularly violent shiver made Lio clench his jaw, body tensing and shoulders lifting slightly from the pillow. The unconscious face settled into a grimace of pain at the movement.

"Hey, hey…" Galo quietly murmured, and he needed to touch, to comfort, but there was so little of Lio currently available that could receive such gestures. He placed one palm against Lio's uninjured cheek, and brushed his bangs back with the other hand, marveling once more at how very soft the pale hair was as he let the strands fall forward. He buried his fingers along the scalp, massaging. Whether in response to Galo's minor ministrations or just because the fit had run its course, Lio settled back and some of the tightness left his face.

_Stay with me. So many things can still take you away. Even things that are already over._

This is what shocked Galo the most. His rescue hadn't really worked. And he hadn't even noticed. Lio had gone so far as to _hide_ it from him, despite everything they'd gone through together. His trust only went so far. Save the world: yes. Save himself… He didn't _want_ Galo's help.

Galo withdrew his hands as a deep sadness overcame him. This realization cast a different tint on everything they had been through.

He crossed his arms on the edge of the hospital bed and rested his chin on them wearily, eyes never leaving Lio's countenance.

When Galo really thought about it, Lio's reluctance shouldn't have surprised him. Lio had had to actually _die_ before he directly accepted Galo's help for himself, although he was always ready to offer his own. And was "accepted" even the right word for that?

He and Lio had synced so perfectly when fighting for their common goal, but in that case, Lio was the one helping Galo every step of the way. Before that…

From their first real conversation, back in the cave, he had felt _surprised_ by the level of trust Lio had shown him. The Mad Burnish leader had actually taken the time to explain the situation. Thinking about it now… Lio had been open about the truth of Burnish circumstances, but he had firmly stated that Galo's help was _not_ needed. Lio had been blunt that he thought Galo naïve and incapable of aiding them, and he was right. Galo had gone straight to Kray, exposed Lio's escape to him, and gotten himself locked up so he wasn't even _available_ to help.

Some crack inside of Galo was being pulled excruciatingly wider at the thought of Kray. Instinctively, he reach out his fingers and laid them on top of the cold, slight digits emerging from the bindings of Lio's broken arm. Even this minimal touch brought a moment of reassurance. It vanished as Galo recalled the level of absolute loathing Kray had leveled at him. Galo wasn't smart or savvy like his mentor, but he had thought he was doing what he could to support the gov. To reciprocate. In his relentless pursuit to become the best firefighter he could be, he had thought he was helping the person he most looked up to. Had tried to be worthy of the support he received.

But just like Lio, Kray had actually found Galo's efforts problematic. In the way. So much so that he had come to _hate_ the person he had originally taken under his wing.

Galo curled his fingers around Lio's, holding on, terrified. His eyes zeroed in once more on that pain-filled face. He didn't think he could bear it if things turned out the same way with Lio.

To be hated, held distant from something as breathtaking as this soul, the way it joined his and filled in the fractures. To be unable to protect this flame. Doomed to watch it flicker out. Ice gripped his heart once more at the vivid recollection of Lio's lifeless body, drifting to ash, grey without his spark…

_No!_

His heart thundered. He had to do better. Had to figure out what help Lio _actually_ needed, the way Lio had for him.

Because... Because Lio _did_ need help, and Galo didn't want him to have to hide it or go it alone. He had to figure out how he could really be there for him this time.

Galo turned his head so it lay on his arm and stared at where his fingers and Lio's were now intertwined. Cold, trembling fingertips against his larger warm ones. He began softly trying to rub some heat into the fingers he held, his eyes drifting closed…

Something tugged him briefly from the depths, a faint sense of movement. Then a light touch trailed from his temple down his cheek, and he sank once more.

The next thing he knew, he was fully jerked awake at a shrill cry of, "What are you doing?!"

Blinking rapidly in the morning light shifting through the windows, Galo's eyes landed on the source of the voice, a nurse in a hospital uniform. But she wasn't looking at him.

Lightening flashed through Galo and he bolted up at the sight of Lio, who had scooted himself to the edge of the bed and was pulling the last tubes from his arm, breath coming in panicked gasps. He had already ripped the plaster from his face and shed the med packs and heat packs. The cast and mangled bandages around his arm and torso and a pair of hospital slacks were the only things still on his body. His eyes were wide and dilated, but he wasn't making eye contact as he struggled with the medical attachments.

"Boss!" Gueira and Meis were both stumbling over from their cots. Meis grabbed Lio's hand and Gueira his shoulders. He slowed his frantic movements until the nurse grabbed his other hand, which still held one of the sensors he'd just removed. Lio jerked back at the unfamiliar touch, face scowling until it flinched momentarily from the responding pain in his still healing jaw.

Galo instinctively rested a gentle hand on Lio's head. "We're here to _help_."

Lio looked into his eyes and finally stilled, chest straining with puffs of breath, but eyes beginning to register the people surrounding him.

He looked confused for a minute, scanning the room, then addressed Meis and Gueira in an uncertain tone.

"Is everyone okay?"

Sorrow and affection squeezed Galo's heart because that was _so Lio_. Meis released a humorless chuckle as he relaxed, and Guiera shook his head as he replied.

"Yeah, Boss, everyone except you."

Lio scanned their concerned faces, then seemed to take stock of his physical condition as he tried to piece the situation together. The nurse took the sensor wire from his hand and skirted the group to get the IV and various monitors set back up on the side.

"You scared the hell out of us again," Meis frowned.

"I'm… fine…" Lio began, making an effort to sit up straighter, ease the pain lines from his face and clench down on his shivering.

The doctor from the day before entered the room with Ignis just in time to hear Lio's words.

"No, you're not," she said in a clipped tone. "And from what your friends tell me, you likely have a fair bit more to weather through."

Lio's body seemed to be rebelling against his own statement, too, as they could see the adrenalin wear off and he started to list backwards. A queasy look took over his face as they helped him lay back.

The doctor sighed as she stepped over and gently examined his right side. Lio watched, wary and tense, but allowed the doctor to examine and the nurse to finish setting him back up on the monitors before she left.

"The bruising looks better, that's a good sign for the pace of healing," the doctor said with satisfaction. And they could see that she was right, black having transitioned to a rainbow of colors and the swelling reduced enough that Lio's face actually looked familiar again.

If the mark from the ice bullet was improving, however, it was hard to tell. Lio looked down at the unfamiliar sight and grimaced, putting his hand over the center of the mark.

"Is it still cold?" The doctor questioned. Lio shifted his eyes to her and kept a cautious poker face while he gave a slight nod.

"What is happening with the Burnish?" He demanded, looking between those present.

The doctor blinked and began in a tone of disbelief, "I hardly think this is the time-"

But Ignis cut her off. "They're doing as well as can be expected. Most have physically recovered with a good night's sleep, only a few dozen are still hospitalized. The city has approved an emergency two-week support plan, so all Burnish will be provided for until the interim leadership is able to meet and discuss a more formalized approach. I've advised that you will be an essential party to that discussion."

Lio's face had eased into relief and then a kind of uncertain vulnerability as Ignis explained what had been done on his behalf. He was thoughtfully silent for a moment. Ignis asked the doctor for a few minutes of privacy, which she granted under mild protest.

"Thank you for arranging all that." Lio finally murmured.

Galo stared at Ignis. How had he done that? Known what Lio needed?

"I'll first inspect the security measures in place, those tend to be _underestimated _by officials," Lio continued, already trying to sit up again, "And talk with as many Burnish as possible today so we can gauge-"

Lio was cut off by Meis' thunderous face suddenly in his own. Gueira slung a forearm in front of his shoulders and pushed them gently but relentless back down to the pillow.

"I. Am. Fine." Lio grit out with a glare, as if saying it would make it true.

"You _will_ be if you take care of yourself _now_." Meis shot back.

"Either that, or _we'll_ take care of you." Gueira got a scary grin, cracking his knuckles.

"There's two of us."

"And you're small."

"And we're smart."

"You're _idiots_." Lio cut in.

"Well, you seem to _like_ those." Meis stated with a wicked smile, flicking his eyes blatantly to Galo and back, as if he wanted to see Lio's reaction, confirm a suspicion.

Meis was rewarded with the return of some color to Lio's cheeks as he looked outraged. Then he adopted a smile twice as wicked as Meis'.

"_You_ want to do it all, then? You're going to regret this. We have twenty thousand people who are suspicious of authority, and more incoming, in a city suspicious of _them_ and overextended with other problems." Then Lio launched into a long list of things that needed doing by his newly appointed proxies.

His revenge was hampered by the looks of satisfaction that passed between the two lieutenants and the way they took over with self-assignments.

"Security review." Gueira ticked off a finger.

"Make sure the accommodations are adequate." Meis chimed in.

"Get a read on the vibe within the community."

"Identify the ones struggling the most."

"Take time to reassure the children."

"We should check-in with the global network." Meis addressed Gueira who nodded.

"And see what Burnish are incoming."

"We'll need to meet this city's government bosses."

"Ugh."

Lio had fallen silent, an abashed half smile on his face as his top leaders turned back to him.

"We got this. Not much different from setting up a settlement." Gueira grinned with confidence.

"We've followed you long enough to know how this goes. It's not our first rodeo." Meis reminded him.

"Just a little easier this time since we aren't at odds with the local suits and uniforms."

"You can trust us, you know."

"Of course I know." Lio said.

The two folded their arms, their eyes pointedly scanning his mottled body. Lio looked away with an acknowledging frown and moved to cross his arms, but the cast and wires made it impossible. The initial flailing and resulting pout made Galo bite his lip as his heart squeezed. Moments where Lio was not so smooth were pretty adorable, he concluded.

Lio sighed. "I'm trusting you with the most _important_ thing," he clarified. Galo didn't know why that statement made him feel all mixed up inside.

Gueira and Meis also looked unsettled.

"We can take turns, take shifts." Gueira stated.

"You shouldn't be alone if- when other stuff happens." Meis gestured with a grimace to Lio's body.

Ignis, listening attentively up to this point, cut in.

"You two are uniquely needed in the field, sounds like. Galo can stay."

"Captain!" Galo exclaimed, relieved.

Meis and Gueira tilted their heads at Galo, considering.

Lio broke the speculative silence with a slight eye roll. "Yes, you two idiots go take care of our people. This idiot can stay with me."

Lio's surprising lack of resistance to the idea settled it. They could all see that the patient was growing weary again as he sank deeper into his pillow, arms settling at his sides.

"Keep me updated," Lio issued a final command.

Meis pointed at Galo. "And _you_ keep _us_ updated." Neatly circumventing Lio.

"You get better, Boss." Gueira insisted.

"We do still need you." Meis added.

They both ruffled his hair before he could react and then stepped away.

The two Burnish each slung an arm around Galo as they walked towards the doorway, giving him tips on watching over the boss that mostly amounted to "he won't ask for things, so you have to be pushy." Galo promised them hourly updates, which earned him an approving slap on the back from Gueira.

"If anything seems off, talk to us. Mess this up and die." Meis deadpanned.

Over their chattering and threats, Galo heard Lio ask Ignis with touching sincerity to watch over his two fellow leaders. Ignis nodded and promised he had it covered.

Ignis gave Galo a final nod as he approached them in the doorway and escorted Meis and Gueira out, promising them a stop at the station so they could freshen up.

Galo tilted his head as he watched them walk down the hall. Observing them help Lio had been informative, but it also brought up a new question. Lio might not want _Galo_'s assistance, for good reason, but why hadn't he told the two people closest to him, either?

When he turned back, Galo found Lio watching him, a small, affectionate smile on his face.

"You're thinking pretty hard over there. I'm afraid to ask."

Galo marched directly over to him, sat in a chair and stared for a beat. At Lio's raised eyebrow, he asked, "Why didn't you tell them you were hurt?"

As Lio's face carefully blanked, Galo continued, "I mean, I understand why not me, but you guys are really close and they want to help you. Why did you hide all this?" he gestured to Lio's battered body.

"We had more important things to worry about. Besides, it wouldn't have mattered," Lio explained in a reasonable tone.

"Wouldn't have mattered?!" Galo exclaimed, face twisted in incredulity.

Lio continued, clearly thinking he was stating the obvious. "I couldn't leave them when they needed me. So seeing what was happening would only have made them feel worse. It's not like anyone could do anything about it, anyway."

Galo buried his face in his hands, barely able to contain himself. He wanted to yell "you're dumber than me!" but could sense that would be counterproductive.

Up to this point, Galo had interacted with Lio based on pure instinct, and it had worked. Partially. That wasn't good enough here, he had to take it to the next level and earn this trust somehow. Understand things better so he could _actually_ help Lio, in whatever way he really needed. Galo's confidence wavered a bit when he thought about figuring it out, but returned in full force with the simple thought that this was for Lio, and he'd do whatever it took to be there for him. And hopefully do well enough that he didn't earn hatred like Kray's in return.

Galo dropped his hands and saw Lio giving his reaction a doubtful look. He was also clearly fighting off sleep.

Galo felt his insides turn to mush at the groggy blinking of those alluringly faceted eyes combatting the fierce resolve to stay awake. To talk to _him_. He smiled softly and once more reached out, placed his fingers on top of Lio's partially exposed ones.

"It does matter." Was all he said, momentarily resigned to leave it at that.

Lio's face relaxed fully and he turned his hand over so the insides of his fingers brushed against Galo's. Wrapped around them for a moment. Then, as if he realized what he was doing, he withdrew his hand. Resolutely closed his eyes. Despite continued small shivers, he drifted off almost immediately.

After calling for the doctor and helping get Lio set up with fresh heat packs, Galo sat across both seats, knees drawn up, to wait. Looking at Lio resting, he decided this waiting wasn't the bad kind. He pulled out his phone, snapped a quick picture of Lio-stared at it feeling all wobbly inside-and put it in a message to Meis, Gueira, and the members of his Burning Rescue unit with the text, "Sleeping beautifully" and hit send.


	3. First Glimpse

Thank you, Spectrospecs for being an amazing beta reader!

This chapter is so very much better because of her. She really dug in deep to help me see how to improve. And a huge continued thank you to Jobler, for being a valuable first set of eyes. And deep gratitude to the kind people who have left comments.

* * *

_Lio had been putting one foot in front of the other for hours. The ground was an ice so pure, it shot through him as each step connected. Racing up over skin and through bone until it pierced his heart and sank into the cracks of his ribs and arm and jaw, turning their pulsing ache into sharp lances again with every beat._

_But in this cold, dark, empty place, the only agency he had was to keep walking._

_At first he had needed to pause between each footfall, absorbing the consequences and preparing himself for the next one. He couldn't pause too long, though, or he'd think about the following step and may not take it at all._

_Thousands of hard-fought strides later, he realized he wasn't hesitating and his movement was consistent, though not much faster. The pain was less or he was more numb._

_Where was he going?_

_He risked a stop to look around, wondering why he hadn't wondered that before._

_This place… it wasn't meant to be cold. This was where fire was. The warmth of connection. The heat of his own living will. Why was it dark? Silent. _Cold_._

_Wait, not silent… Lio listened more closely, stilling his shuddering breaths. It was faint, like the far off roar of ocean waves or… or a fire…_

_As he listened the sound seemed to draw nearer. Began to echo from every direction._

_Then he recognized it. And he ran._

_The futility of such an action when there was no direction and the sound was everywhere didn't matter. He had to escape. Where could he go, where could he go-_

_It was truly a roar now and he knew it all too well, it had been burned into the deepest places within him- screaming, screaming, such pain-filled screams, tearing his heart with grief and agony, the fire unbearable, imprisoning him like fire was never meant to do-_

_Through his own tears and screams he heard something else, that soothing voice-_

_Saw a faint glow that seemed too far but was also right in front of him-_

_And with a last desperate surge he leapt towards the pale light-_

Lio's eyes snapped open and his gasp was a scream turned inward. He was immediately blinded, the intense sunlight of this new place tearing at his unadjusted eyes. In complete disorientation, he was only aware of two things. The weight of a hand resting against his chest as he gasped frantically to take in enough air, and the sun hovering over him.

Stunning clear blue eyes in a face that shone from within. Just as he had leapt towards the glow, his hand instinctively continued the path, reaching to touch that face as the eyes lifted him up, pulled him from the dark pain…

His hand froze, an inch away, as a sense of realness sank in. This place was solid. Consistent, logical.

A hospital.

The relative normalcy was jarring, because the other place had been so real, too.

And the sun that had pulled him with its light and gravity was an earnest firefighter whose concern shone as clearly as the actual sunlight beaming in through the window.

Lio exhaled a strained breath as his hand dropped and he accepted that the imminent danger had not followed him.

_Safe_ whispered through his mind and sank into his heart from the warm hand covering it.

"That must have been some nightmare," Galo murmured, worry showing in his eyes and through the tension in his jaw. He lifted his other hand, reaching for Lio's face, but then hesitated.

Two desires tugged Lio in different directions. One, for that hand to continue its journey so he could tuck his cheek into it and absorb its caressing comfort. Let it ease over the screams and fear buried deep within him.

But he went with the second impulse. The right one. He tore his eyes away from the warm blue and shifted slightly backwards to signal a desire for distance. He had to grit his teeth when his heart cried out at the removal of the hand protecting it. Galo backed up a couple of feet and Lio felt the return of the cold.

He blinked, self-inflicted regret momentarily set aside as he realized the physical cold wasn't quite as severe as the last time he was conscious.

"Your temperature went up." Galo stated, as if he had heard what Lio was thinking.

Lio turned his eyes back to Galo and tried not to _feel_ too much at the way his encouraging smile couldn't quite cover the hint of sadness as he gazed at Lio. Galo nodded his head slightly at a monitor showing Lio's vital stats. It was indeed showing a more reasonable number for a human body, confirming the reason Lio's need to shiver had significantly diminished. Lio could feel some of his tension unwind, relieved at this positive sign after what had seemed like an endless journey.

Galo took a deep breath and clapped his hands together, smile turning braver and more genuine. Something tugged inside Lio, tried to curl forward.

"I'm glad you're awake now, though." Galo's tone became confiding. Then he shifted into a slight pout. "Everyone's posting stupid responses when I send the hourly update pictures." Galo flipped through his phone. "I'm just trying not to make them look all the same even though you weren't moving, but everyone keeps saying things…" Vibrant red spotted his cheeks. "I don't even understand most of it…" he muttered.

"What time is it?" Lio spoke at last, mind still hazy and voice slightly rough, trying to connect meaning to Galo's rambling but definitely missing something. His expression was ridiculously endearing, though. _No, stop it_.

Galo stashed his phone and refocused on Lio, his eager grin back in full force.

"Meis and Gueira left a few hours ago, it's almost lunchtime. Feeling hungry?" Galo leaned closer again. Still shining from within. Phantom fire flickered under Lio's skin as Galo filled his space. Once more inches from _touching_. His presence pulled at Lio's senses _again_ suggesting he do just that. He was not used to wanting to move _closer_ when people got in his face, but Galo kept being an exception to everything in Lio's world. A snap of panic stung Lio as contrary desire once again struck a blow against carefully honed will.

"Too close." He quickly lifted one hand to cover his heated face and pushed Galo away with the other, sitting up without too much difficulty.

And then another jarring moment as he noticed that his right arm was free of its cast.

"Yeah, the X-rays showed the bones were healed enough to not need a splint anymore." Galo stated as if personally proud of the improvement.

Lio put aside a disturbed feeling as he realized how out-cold he'd been to have missed all that. At least it was another positive development. There was a persistent ache across his right side, rather than the sharp pains from before. He pushed aside the heat packs on his left side and noticed the blue and white markings were noticeably fading. He knew there were more physical symptoms coming, could feel it in the new kind of weariness his body had been signaling with each retreating layer of healing. But it was still encouraging to know that healing was indeed succeeding, even if it was more difficult and painful than previously.

He was good at toughing things out.

His face relaxed further in relief. Galo's smile grew at this response before the larger man began replacing the warming units.

Recalling Galo's question, Lio realized it had indeed been awhile since he'd last eaten and he was no longer feeling the intense queasiness from the first time he'd woken up earlier this morning. He supposed it was important to keep up his energy. He looked up at Galo, who was again _too close_ as he leaned over Lio. But he steeled himself against it with a ferocity that was coming more easily with the increasing distance from the dark dream.

Running his tongue between his lips at the thought of food, he opened his mouth to speak just as Galo froze, his own mouth parted, staring at the lower half of Lio's face. Unsure what had caused this response, Lio put a self-conscious hand to his jaw, wondering how messed up it still looked. It felt better, so he spoke to reassure.

"I think I can eat."

Galo blinked, snapping out of his daze, and his eyes flew from Lio's mouth to his eyes. Cheeks once more glowing pink, Galo immediately straightened, hand behind his head as he laughed awkwardly about who knew what.

"Got it! On it!" He saluted and stepped away from the bed as he began making a call.

Lio leaned back against his propped up pillows, content to enjoy the view from a distance. Trying to steady himself and reclaim control of his thoughts and actions.

Because, sweet flames, was Galo an intense experience to wake up to. The first time, when Galo had saved his life, it had filled him with a hope and raw energy that left no room for hesitation. He'd tossed aside his shirt and thrown himself entirely into joining with his partner, soul to soul. _Glorious_. This time, the pull was still there-reach, connect, get closer-but there was no _need_ anymore, so why did it continue to tug at him? The world didn't need saving, there was nothing left to burn together. In addition to that unavoidable gravity was the increasingly inescapable truth that Galo could make him feel things before he even had a chance to think. That was dangerous.

Lio looked at his fingers, remembering the warm touch from this morning.

_It does matter_.

He'd been unable to resist responding. Yes, _hungry_ for reassurance. His barriers had crumbled at a single touch-he clenched his hand into a loose fist. He had to be more disciplined than that.

_Is it so bad to want comfort?_

_Yes_, he mentally hissed at that timid voice inside. Lio knew-you couldn't show weakness in front of those you were trying to protect, any more than you could in front of those you were protecting them _from_. He had to be the shield, not the other way around. He couldn't be _needy_, people had to believe they could rely on him. It was something he had learned from taking up the mantle of leadership at such a young age. You had to be able to carry the weight and not let it fall through to those around you.

A shiver flurried through Lio-in some ways, their infrequency now made them more noticeable. Without thinking, he reached for the heat inside, mentally sending a gentle voice. His pulse tripped in his throat when nothing happened. He shook his head, scowling and annoyed at the persistent instinct, even as something inside cried out at the absence. He needed to stop doing that. It just gave him another pang of grief when chill quiet answered back from a place that was now dark. But it was so intuitive, and his cold and aching body was a constant reminder, a demand for what wasn't there. He tried to hold back the icy prickles of fear. The truth was, he was undeniably weak now, and that was a terrifying thought. How could he protect without his fire, his core strength? It just made it all the more important to offset perceptions of weakness.

He determinedly shook off the last wispy feelings from his dream and its aftermath.

Galo hung up his call and bound back over to Lio.

"They were already on their way! You're going to _love_ this, it's our favorite pizza."

An uncharacteristic look of uncertainty suddenly settled on Galo's face as he focused back on Lio. "I guess… I assumed again… about what you need..."

Lio's senses sharpened at Galo's strange hesitancy, easily shifting from his own reflections as he noticed something was off with his companion. He wanted to put whatever random concern had permeated Galo's brain to rest. "I don't have any food allergies. If it's your favorite, I'm sure it's good," he reassured.

Galo brightened up again. "Hah! Anything's better than hospital food."

Lio's brows went up in mild amusement. "It's not the _worst_ food, and at least it's regular."

Galo looked thoughtful for a moment, and Lio found himself thinking he really liked that expression. It meant… he was trying to understand Lio. Like it mattered to him. He tried to ignore the soft feeling that glanced across his heart.

"The Burnish eat, but… _what_ did you eat? How did you get food if you were hiding out in off-grid settlements?"

As in previous encounters, Lio instantly wanted to explain things to Galo. Being honest with himself, he had always w_anted_ Galo to understand, even if he hadn't believed it possible. Maintained his guard against such expectations. But Galo had proven he _heard_ Lio. And then some. So.

"We had to scavenge. If we… hit a town, it was usually to get supplies without being too obvious in our intentions or leaving a trail. If a settlement lasted for awhile, we were able to grow some things and eat pretty simply."

Galo sat down and leaned his arms on the bed, listening intently. Waiting for him to continue.

Lio released himself fully to the pull this time. He was indulging Galo, not himself. He took a deep breath, glanced at the ceiling as he sorted through his memories.

"We always made sure we could pick up and leave quickly. One of the worst parts of getting our homes destroyed or having to flee was leaving behind the small crops and gardens that had managed to take root. We couldn't take those with us, had to start completely over." Lio turned his head to make eye contact again. "It was really hard for everyone to keep trying, keep planting. You take care of something, day after day, hoping, and then have to abandon it. But we were determined that we'd eventually be self-sufficient enough to not have to raid much anymore." Lio straightened further. "To take care of our own needs, so we didn't have to remain vulnerable or rely on what wasn't coming."

Galo was running his thumb along his knuckles, deep in thought and watching Lio as he concluded his explanation. He took a moment to exhale before responding.

"So. You learned not to expect anything or hold on to much." Galo stated, lowering his eyes.

"I… yes. That would have just set us up for worse suffering for no reason. And we didn't _want_ to hurt anyone else by taking what we needed." Lio acknowledged.

Galo stilled at Lio's final sentence. Seemed to process it, then looked at Lio as if making a connection. A light broke free in Galo's face and his expression morphed to one of realization. Lio was tempted to laugh at how openly Galo it was.

Before he could ask, the sound of energetic voices coming from the hall drew both their gazes to the doorway. Galo quickly turned back to Lio, as if trying to fit in a reply before their arrival, but sighed with a half smile as the full contingent of Burning Rescue Three members, minus Ignis, spilled into Lio's room.

And the smell wafting from the stack of pizza boxes they brought made Lio realize just how hungry he really was.

Varys laughed as he watched Lio follow the pizza boxes with his eyes. "Well I guess someone has an appetite!"

"It's Inferno Volcano Margherita Mega Max Pizza, no one can resist!" Galo declared, jumping to his feet and moving to grab a box. "They really let you all in with outside food?"

Aina snatched the box back with a wink. "We professional rescue workers have more flexible rules."

Remi slapped a change of clothes into Galo's chest. "Stop being gross. Shower is down the hall."

Aina pushed him towards the door. "And wear a shirt, this is a hospital."

Galo, recognizing the futility of resistance when the pizza was under guard, snatched the clothes and ran out the door. "Two minutes!"

With him gone, all eyes turned to Lio, who schooled his face and shoulders at the sudden attention.

Remi smirked at him. "You're looking less horrible. Colorful even." He pointed to the fading bruises.

Lucia grabbed a box, bounced over and unceremoniously plopped on the end of the bed, cross-legged. She opened the box and held it up for Lio. Despite himself, his eyes widened and his mouth watered. She laughed gleefully and pulled out a slice, handing the box to Aina who sat down in a chair beside the bed to watch.

"Okay, cute boy, open wide!"

Lio opened his mouth to protest both the name and the implication that he needed to be hand fed, but Lucia was unnervingly fast. Before he knew it, his mouth was full of crust and sauce and gooey cheese, and _oh_. All thoughts of protest left him.

His eyes closed automatically as he took hold of the slice and bit off the mouthful. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had pizza, but it hadn't always been like this, had it? A rare sense of well-being settled over Lio as he was immersed in the flavors and textures. He didn't open his eyes until he'd fully savored and swallowed that first bite.

Then his eyes sprang open in wonder and he looked around at everyone, holding up his slice in stunned silence.

"Yep, we know," Aina grinned, propping her elbows on his bed and starting on her own slice.

Remi put his phone away and joined the others in devouring the pizzas. No one spoke during their first slices, out of respect for the moment. As the team settled around the room, a razor of instinct sliced Lio, chiding him for losing focus. He paused in his pizza euphoria, immediately surveying the room-_Aina was within arms reach and he could tell she was incredibly strong, she could easily restrain him; Lucia had taken a tactically strong position that allowed her to pivot in any direction he might bolt and potentially cut him off, but her small size might make it possible to leap over or dodge; Remi was sitting on a cot that put him closer to the door than Lio, cutting off that escape route if he didn't use the element of surprise; Varys was definitely blocking the way to the window, he'd have to go low to have the advantage_-

There was a single, weightless moment where their faces rather than their body positions came into sharp focus, and the world turned upside down.

The quick calculations as he assessed their positions suddenly crashed into an instinct that couldn't be more opposite, leaving him with a ringing in his ears as he almost dropped his half-eaten pizza.

_Aina was beside him, he could protect her in less than a second so she could arm herself with some of the heavy equipment; regardless of where an attack came from, Lio could whisk Lucia off the bed in either direction and have it shield her while she took the low position; Remi's position allowed him to look through the doorway and down the hall in one direction, but Lio had clear line of sight in the other direction, so he could cover him from that angle and they could maintain full vantage; Varys had his back to the window, but Lio could see anything coming and give fair warning_-

Lio blinked rapidly feeling decidedly off-balance at the two warring reactions. He shook his head, trying to find clear focus.

Galo burst back through the doorway, hair damp, in fresh clothes, panting from running back down the hall. And instantly, Lio's internal stance towards the room snapped cleanly and emphatically to _Protect_. Once that was subconsciously set, it was easy to recognize that it matched his conscious alignment towards this specific group. With a relieved sigh, Lio unwound. Returned to the joy of his pizza.

Galo gave a small cry as he saw Lio finishing his crust with quiet delight.

"I missed it!" He wailed. "The first experience!"

"Don't worry," Remi smiled unsettlingly as he held up his phone. "I got it recorded."

Lio didn't understand Galo's problem considering there was still plenty of pizza for him-maybe a team tradition to eat the first slice together?-but he was already getting lost in his second slice, so he didn't fixate on it.

"How much." Galo glared.

"Two weeks of dish duty." Remi demanded.

"Two weeks?!"

"Wait a sec…" Remi made a show of angling his phone away from Galo and watching something with raised eyebrows, then hitting pause. Galo's fingers twitched. "A month. Plus a pot of that dark coffee I like every morning."

"What?!" Galo looked ready to explode.

"Trust me," Remi tilted the phone towards Galo so he could see the paused image. "It's _worth it_."

Galo stopped breathing and Lio really started to wonder about this pizza tradition.

With tears in his eyes, Galo nodded and snatched Remi's phone, punching in the option to send it to himself, muttering something about "rescuing precious moments".

Seeing Lio finish his second slice, Varys scooted the rolling stool he was sitting on closer and held out an open box so Lio could take another piece. Lio hesitated and scanned the supply, because he wasn't technically _hungry_ anymore and didn't want to take more than his share, but secretly still wanted more because it was so amazing.

"Eat. This pizza will bulk you up," Varys encouraged. "You can get strong like me." And he flexed a bicep.

Lio's lips quirked at the idea and he eyed the massive appendage appreciatively. "That is impressive."

Galo, looking flustered, ducked under Varys' arm to stand closer to Lio and planted both hands on the bed. "I can eat more pizza than him!"

"In what universe?" Varys quipped.

Lio felt like _he_ was in another universe. All of a sudden, his bed was the overcrowded battleground of a pizza-eating contest. Lucia was the referee as Galo and Varys squared off, and it was grotesquely fascinating for Lio to watch them consume whole pizzas in seconds. In the end, Varys managed to eat the last pizza faster than Galo, who Lucia declared had officially lost. The penalty was apparently to be hauled off in a headlock by Varys while enduring a lecture about not taking on opponents bigger than he was.

This whole lunch period had been a combination of relief, surprising satisfaction, and general bewilderment for Lio, and in this moment, watching the camaraderie and Galo's reactions, something unfurled inside of him. His laughter bubbled up and spilled over, because Galo _did_ have a bad habit of taking on immense adversaries without any restraint. But to be fair, he supposed he did as well.

His ribs immediately protested, but Galo had also immediately ceased his struggles, eyes wide and fixed on Lio, as if overwhelmed by something wondrous. Not wanting to reveal his discomfort, Lio ignored the pain and allowed himself to enjoy the laughter only Galo-related things seemed to summon. Despite the soreness, it felt good anyway, as a sparkly feeling danced through his veins. He was peripherally aware that the others were looking at him, too, but it seemed unimportant just then.

When Lio's open mirth died down, Galo suddenly began tugging on Varys' arm again, looking frustrated to be pinned on the other side of the room from Lio, and he began arguing back.

With Galo's focus no longer on him and the room's attention back on the activity between Galo and Varys, Lio allowed himself an almost-silent hiss, wincing with his arms around his ribs and shoulders clenched against the residual pain he had tried to hide.

"Hey." Aina said quietly from where she still sat, elbows resting on the bed. Lio snapped startled eyes over to her. She gestured to Lio's arms holding his ribs. "You doing okay there? We can get some more pain meds-"

Lio immediately dropped his arms. He took a small breath as the pain reduced to an ache. "I'm-" he almost said 'fine' again. "-feeling better. This…" he looked around at the group's antics. "Actually helps," he concluded in surprise. He didn't notice the inner silence so much when surrounded by this energy.

Aina nodded and interlaced her fingers together. "I know you're dealing with a lot, so… just… take care. So you can get better." She cast a concerned glance at Galo, who had finally been released and was now arguing the fairness of the call. She took a deep breath and spoke more quietly. "I don't think Galo could handle it otherwise."

Still feeling a little weightless from the earlier laughter, Lio offered her a small honest smile. He nodded in understanding. "Galo has a really big heart. Guess that's why he's always trying to rescue everyone."

Aina raised an eyebrow pointedly and held him in an assessing gaze. He quirked his head slightly, wondering what she was looking for. She smacked a palm to her face and started a rapid murmured diatribe that Lio didn't follow but thought he heard _cute_ and _similarly stupid_. Then she leveled an exasperated, disgruntled glare at him.

"You'd better figure it out first, though, because he is REALLY stupid."

"What?" Lio choked on a laugh. He was still lost on what exactly she was driving at, but could tell that she was trying to be encouraging in her own way. She just crossed her arms and gave him a stubborn you-figure-it-out look. For some reason, Lio found himself grinning.

He could see why she was Galo's close friend. She seemed to understand Galo, maybe she had some insight on how to deal with his unusual pull.

Lio scooted down until he could lean on his elbow, waited a moment for the flare of an ache to fade, and faced her more closely as he responded to her comment.

"No doubt, he's as complete an idiot as he self-proclaims. But he's also… weirdly smart? In a way that's just… Galo." He glanced across the room at the man in question, then back to Aina. "He picks up on things I wouldn't think he'd notice, and faces everything head on, and makes impossible things happen in ways that break all logic. He makes me _believe_ in _stupid_ things, and then they work. There's just always a _pull_. It's like his will alone is pure enough to change anything for the better." Lio startled himself with how easily the candid words tumbled out. A warmth spread through him as he spoke and he could feel it in his face. It was an unfamiliar feeling, but one he wanted to _understand_. So he let Aina see him honestly, no mask or filter.

Aina stared at him, her mouth slightly parted. Then, with a quirk of her lips, she closed her eyes and sighed, shoulders dropping. Looked both relieved and resigned. She opened her eyes and the smile she offered him was genuine.

"Well alright then." And she gave his hand a squeeze.

Before Lio could ask anything else, Lucia bounced onto the bed at exactly that moment and inserted her face between theirs looking rapidly back and forth between them.

"Is this a slumber party now? I want in."

Aina laughed, then stood, stretching. "Nah, and we should get going. Our late lunch break is definitely over."

"Aww," Lucia bemoaned. Then she turned to Lio with a sly smile. "You've certainly improved Galo's photography skills." She gave him a pat on the cheek. "But you are a really pretty subject. I look forward to future updates. I'm making you something."

"Do I want to know?" he simply asked, wisely deciding not to probe further on her first comments.

Lucia just laughed in delight and hopped off the bed.

With lots of ribbing and well wishes and calls of farewell, the four on-duty Burning Rescue members collected the empty pizza boxes and filed out the door.

Lio's mind was swirling from the activity as he settled back and realized he didn't feel cold anymore.

"On a scale of one to ten," Lio said, keeping his face and voice serious as Galo returned from waving goodbye at the door, "That pizza..." Lio paused intensely and Galo braced his hands on the bed, "Was definitely..." Galo gripped the sheets and leaned forward, "An eleven!"

Galo sat down hard in the chair. "That's more than a 10! That's better than a 10!"

Lio had to bite his lip at the sheer joy in Galo's face.

Then it turned into a moment that felt a little wrong, because Galo slumped forward with a relief that exceeded his previous joy. As if his anxiety had been greater than his anticipation, which wasn't very… Galo.

Before Lio could probe, Galo began talking, ruffling his hand in his still very damp blue locks. The weight of the water pulled them from their usual spikes into a softer wave.

"The pizza was even better before."

Lio's fingers itched to see what his hair was like, still wet from the shower. He sat back against the pillows and crossed his arms, the remaining soreness in his ribs distracting him from strange impulses. But he was beginning to notice a new achiness spreading throughout the rest of his body as well.

"The owner of the pizzaria was arrested the day after we caught you. He had hired a Burnish, who was _really_ the best at making pizza. The owner defended him when Freeze Force came for him."

Galo's words fully held Lio's attention now.

"What happened?"

"The owner was released with a warning a few days later. He made today's pizza."

"I hope you tipped him well."

Galo gave a crooked smile. "Aina said he was having trouble getting business. That's why they made sure to stop by with a big order."

Lio knew this story inside and out. The same themes of prejudice and persecution always dominated.

"I'm glad they did. That's how it's always been, though. Burnish who try to integrate in normal society have always been in danger, as were the few people who tried to support or hide them. It got worse after..." Lio cut himself off. He did _not_ want to talk about Foresight. It set off a roar in his mind, a collision of rage and remembered agony, and it definitely wasn't something he wanted to waste any more of his energy on. Ever.

He could tell that Galo had filled in the blank, though, as the taller man clenched his hands together and remained unusually silent. One of the things Lio found he hated most about Kray was the absolute vitriol he had spewed at someone as kind, brave, and worthy as Galo. The roar tried to take over, but he firmly shut the door and blocked out the sound.

Determined, Lio tried to steer the conversation away from that minefield.

"What happened to the Burnish pizza maker?"

"We were eating there when it happened and tried to stop Vulcan from taking him away, but it didn't work."

Lio straightened. "You tried to save a Burnish civilian from Freeze Force?"

"Of course! He wasn't doing anything wrong or intentionally setting fires!"

Lio considered this new bit of information. Prior to engineering his own arrest by the Burning Rescue team, he had known they treated the Burnish they encountered in their rescues humanely and in the full view of public oversight, unlike the Freeze Force's secret police tactics.

He hadn't known they stood up for the Burnish in their everyday lives. That a team dedicated to fighting Burnish flames would try to defend the Burnish themselves. He marveled at the realization that they bothered to see the threat separate from the person. Galo had once again pushed him to see different possibilities.

He blinked from his thoughts as a water bottle appeared in front of his eyes.

He _was_ thirsty. "Thank you."

Galo was staring intently, like Lio was a mystery. "You didn't say you needed it, but I figured you might want some water…"

Galo paused, like he was looked for confirmation despite the fact that Lio had already taken the bottle and unscrewed the cap.

"I did. Thank you?" He said again and made a show of drinking, wondering what was causing Galo's strange hesitation. He was definitely acting off.

Galo leaned back, momentarily satisfied, and continued. "He was on the Parnassus, that Burnish pizza maker. Remi said the restaurant owner put in a request to find him and see if he wants his job back." Galo was slowly becoming more animated. "Can you imagine? After all this, he can have a normal life again!"

Lio finished a gulp of water, swiping his wrist across his forehead to ease its ache before screwing on the bottle cap again.

"It's not always that easy," Lio sighed. "People on both sides will need to adjust, there will still be friction. Besides, he may want to do something different, go somewhere else, start fresh, now that he can."

This seemed to upset Galo. With fiery determination, he pushed back. "But… there are lots of good things in Promepolis. And lots of the Burnish are here now. Burning Rescue is here, and we're going to help."

Lio scrunched his brow, trying to puzzle through Galo's reply and understand why he had become so heated about a pizza maker.

"We have _level 11_ pizza, and nice parks, and karaoke bowling…"

"Karaoke bowling?"

"And, um, libraries, and water parks, and art stuff, and a whole fashion district that definitely has black leather…"

Suddenly, Lio realized they weren't talking about the pizza maker.

"I mean, there are so many good things that the Burnish can now get to enjoy, too! Why would anyone want to leave? And I think, we'll need all the help we can get to rebuild. For everyone. A- a home together." Galo had gotten very quiet and intense.

Lio's heart was doing strange things as he tried to imagine a future getting to stay in one place, being close to these people, close to Galo…

"Maybe… plant some things?" Galo suggested in a hushed voice.

Lio really couldn't picture it, doing day-to-day things, not needing to be on guard and planning for survival. It was the kind of life he had always hoped to provide for others, but had known that he, the leader of Mad Burnish, would never have the chance to enjoy. He didn't allow himself to envision what any of that would be like. The only thing that felt a little more solid, something he could start to picture, was the hint of comfort from being with this person…

"You can stay with me… if you want-I mean, you'll need a place…"

A place. Something gripped Lio, and it felt strangely like fear. He may not know what the future would hold, but he knew enough not to believe in "home".

"I just… it's complicated…" Lio stammered.

"You don't have to answer now!" Galo blurted in a panic and his hands reached forward then halted. "You can- we can- you can figure out what you want as we go along. You can just… tell us. What you need. All of you, the Burnish, I mean. And- and also _you_. I mean, I'll _try_ to figure it out, but…"

What _Lio_ needed wasn't something he could ask for. Strength to protect his people. No one could give him that, and he'd lost his primary source. He reached again, exposing the void, and mentally screamed into it. But he noticed that the cold inside no longer matched his external reality. He was physically actually warm. _Hot_ even. And it didn't feel soothing like it used to. The ache had settled into his muscles.

"Just stay…" Galo almost-whispered when he got no reply. Lio looked over into tense, pleading blue eyes. His breath caught.

Something really wrong was going on inside of Galo's head. All thoughts of his own future situation were shoved out of his mind, seeing that look of torment. He desperately grasped at whatever he could think would make Galo feel better, take away that look. _What makes Galo happy?_ It was getting hard to think through the warm haze his body was locked in, though, so he just blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Matoi!"

Galo startled at Lio's outburst.

Yes, if there was any topic Galo could for sure be distracted by, that was it, Lio felt confident.

"Um, it seems to be an important part of Burning Rescue and your life. Here. In Promepolis. It would help me to understand… things..." Lio paused, realizing that he was losing focus. He took a deep breath. "Why is it so important to you? I want to know." Lio tried to rein in his attention and show he was listening.

"O-okay. Well, when I was studying about firefighters-"

"You studied?" Lio half smiled as he pictured Galo surrounded by books. The expressions he likely made while reading them…

Galo nodded emphatically. "A burning soul needs fuel! And I wanted to be really good, so that…" Galo's face darkened. Then he shook his head and continued. "My grandfather came from Japan, and I found out that they had a whole long tradition of firefighting there, way before all the Promare stuff happened! Like, _hundreds_ of years!"

Lio fully smiled as Galo couldn't help getting excited about the subject. This was a simple, beautiful man.

"The matoi was a flag the bravest firefighters had, and they used it to rescue people and summon help." Galo held an invisible pole aloft in a gesture Lio could now easily recognize. "They would stand on a nearby roof, unafraid of the blaze, with just their burning souls and their matoi, so everyone could see where the fire was and escape to safety and the firefighters could put out the fire."

"I see," Lio said fondly. Showiness and bravery did indeed match Galo's approach.

"They just had to be there with their matoi and people knew where to go, how to follow and be rescued… they were able to rescue lots of people at once…"

"And it really works, as you demonstrated." Lio gestured and gave him an encouraging nod. "I'd say you're particularly good at it. You just saved the whole world with your matoi. That's got to be a record."

Galo didn't reply immediately. Then, "I… always thought that was how to best help people."

Lio's vision blurred a bit, but he blinked to clear it, studying Galo, trying to understand the turn in tone.

"Something change your mind?"

Galo just looked at him, his gaze heavy, and serious, and sad. _Wrong_. Lio squeezed the water bottle in his hands. What was crushing Galo's spirit, seeping into his confidence today? Was it the aftermath with the Burnish casualties? Or maybe he was bothered by the pathetic comments from that asshole Kray. Lio grit his teeth and tried to pull himself from that internal roar again. Because, Galo.

"I know what it's like… when things go wrong." Lio hesitantly offered, trying to feel his way. "With saving people."

Galo leaned forward a little, listening, a look of concentration on his face.

Lio lay back, looking at the far wall, exhaustion creeping over him suddenly as his mind wandered to an unhappy scene.

"You know all the Burnish you saw in the cave? We had just broken them out of the Freeze Force jail. And like your matoi, I brought them all together. Took them to the others in the settlement. We'd been there for a few months already, undiscovered, so I thought it would be safe." Tension filled Lio, bunching in his brows and shoulders. He took a drink of water to try to unclench his vocal cords.

"It wasn't your fault that you were discovered-" Galo began in earnest.

"It was!" Lio snapped with a sharp, fierce glare. Demanded silence. Galo unhappily closed his mouth as Lio again looked away and continued.

"They all trusted me to keep them safe. But there was one prisoner we released who doubted. He led the Freeze Force to us. Willingly." Galo gasped but Lio kept going. "I don't blame him. He was understandably afraid. That was _my_ failure. He saw weakness and lost hope."

Lio bit the inside of his cheek for a moment, then bitterly forced himself to admit to the consequences.

"And the whole settlement fell. The lucky ones were frozen and taken. The rest were carelessly killed." Lio leaned forward and pulled his knees tight to his chest, ignoring the pain in his ribs and pressing into them. Remembering faces.

"They died. I couldn't even fight for them," He pressed a palm over his eyes, jaw locking. "Because the one who turned us in took me out first. It took no effort. And then M-meis and Gueira had to surrender everything, sacrifice themselves so I could get away."

A hurricane of rage swirled inside of him, consuming him in payment for this failing which had cost others so much. There was a beat of silence.

Lio snatched his hand away and turned to face Galo head on. "That was on _me_!"

He forced himself to stare unflinching at Galo, to face whatever disappointment or recrimination he would see in those true eyes.

Galo just looked at him thunderstruck. Horror and sorrow imprinted in the contours of his face. Then a shift and his eyes flickered across different points on Lio's face, processing.

"So… you think people seeing your weakness means you can't _protect_ them." Galo said it like a revelation. Hearing Galo say "your weakness" made the chaotic swirl in Lio's heart more frantic.

"I _won't_ be weak." He promised, but even Lio could hear the fear in his own voice. He didn't have a dragon to call on this time. "I _can't_, I still need to protect-" His throat cut him off.

Everything about Galo turned very gentle. Scooting an inch forward, he put his hands near, but not touching Lio. An invitation, not a demand.

His eyes were clear and deep, voice achingly sincere as he addressed Lio. "It's not weak to trust and rely on others. This isn't all on you."

_Yes it is_. The savage counter-thought struck Lio like instinct. He wasn't sure which of Galo's comments it referred to, or both…

But there was yet another instinct that surprised him, a newer one, that said he needed to _listen_ to this extraordinary man in front of him, even if the words didn't immediately make sense. Because he was consistently able to show him something new. Something true to counter the darkness and lies.

And right now, leaning without invading, palms turned slightly towards him, Galo seemed to be offering something. As usual, his presence made Lio feel both weaker and stronger. He already knew all about weakness. What did that _stronger_ feel like if he explored it further…?

Something pulled him again, an echoing heartbeat. This time the feeble counter instinct was all too easy to ignore. Following the pull, wanting to be free of the swirling ache in his chest, head increasingly hazy, Lio lifted a hand.

A light lit in Galo's eyes and he turned his palms even further in welcome. But Lio's hand soared right over them and kept going, until it was skimming delightedly through the short, dense hairs of Galo's buzzcut and sinking into his thick, buoyant lengths. Lio reveled in the way there was just enough moisture still locked in the layers to give them extra texture that pulled at his fingers.

The light in Galo's eyes shifted to something quite different as his breath audibly stuttered in his throat. He reached up and clasped Lio's wrist, their faces inches apart.

Lio met his eyes and fell.

Galo felt like his insides had been liquified. And then heated to boiling, as a fine hand wove across his scalp and tugged lightly on his hair.

After the emotional devastation he'd just experienced hearing Lio's pain verbalized, the electric feeling of his hand was almost too much, like stepping into a hot tub that was a hair shy of scalding.

He automatically reached for the source, grasping the slender wrist by his temple.

But...

If he was going to burn, he'd do it at Lio's hands, he decided. Pulled that wrist and the body attached to it forward even more until he could see the way pale lower lashes rested delicately along flushed cheeks. And Lio kept moving forward, eyes closing…

…until he slumped forward completely, forehead landing on Galo's shoulder.

Galo blinked in surprise and glanced down, his cheek brushing against soft hair, warmth radiating through all points of contact. And it took a moment, but Galo's conscious mind suddenly kicked in and he realized the wrist he held was _actually_ too hot. The pulse felt thready, and the soft puffs of breath by his throat were shallow and more rapid than normal.

"I forgot I was supposed to be making _you_ feel better." Lio murmured weakly, slurring a few of the words.

Galo immediately moved the hand holding Lio's wrist to his shoulder and wrapped the other arm around his back, standing and gently laying Lio back against the pillows. Lio was once again unnaturally pale, this time with a harsh red tint painting a stark contrast across his cheeks.

Dread crept up Galo's back as he looked up at the monitor still displaying Lio's vitals from the wireless sensors attached to his arm and chest.

109 degrees F.

Lio was burning.

* * *

I know a 109F fever is deadly (so does Galo). So, just hold on for more explanation in the next chapter.

Remi's lightning fast with his phone, you know he caught that laugh on film, too. Poor Galo.

I wish we had gotten to see Lio laugh in the movie. I want to know what it's like. ._.

The headcanon I'm going with in this set of stories is that our Mad Burnish trio researched who they wanted to capture them, so the time, place, and manor of their attack was all carefully calculated to engage with BR3 in particular. There is more to it than that, but that'll be covered in the next story. ;) I like adding meaning to EVERYTHING.

Two chapters from now, we'll be at the halfway point (this fic got longer, oops)! Yay! :D Everything is going to get worse better! Thanks for sticking around! Please let me know what you think. :)


	4. Clearing the View

Sincere thanks to betas and anyone who has read this far! Especially if you told me what you thought! 3

Spectrospecs, couldn't do this without you. :)

* * *

Galo slammed the emergency call button, then doused his hands in water from the nearby bottle and wrapped them around Lio's cheeks, across his neck, and around the back of his head. Lio didn't open his eyes or respond.

_Stay with me, stay with me, stay with m- _

Galo continued applying the water on his face, chest, and arms, pouring it in his hair, wondering why he wasn't sweating at all, until a nurse, a physician's assistant, and Lio's doctor hurried in.

"The next stage?" the doctor asked, but one look at Lio confirmed.

Galo was trying not to hyperventilate. "It says 109! His brain is dying!"

The doctor laid a hand on Galo's arm, trying to still his frantic ministrations so her helpers could take over. He ignored her for a moment, unable to stop trying to help Lio, until she held a cooling pack up in front of him. She gestured to the nurse and PA who had more in their hands and were ready to apply them. Strangely prepared, Galo realized, as he took a step back so they could administer this more effective treatment.

"This level of fever is not deadly, not for the Burnish," she hurried to reassure. "Not even now that their fire is gone. This was the most common symptom we've had to treat over the past couple days. Their bodies are going through major adjustments. But the Burnish physiology seems to have adapted to tolerate higher temperatures than our own, without suffering lasting damage once the fever goes."

Galo frowned, processing, feeling his legs wobble as the adrenalin eased. _He's not dying, he's not going to burn away…_ But instinct told him it wasn't as simple as she was stating.

The doctor glanced at Galo as she finished her brief diagnostic inspection, taking in his doubtful look. She nodded and spoke honestly, knowing his experience with medical aid and rescue work. "It's definitely uncomfortable for them. Normal fevers make us achy enough, these higher temperature makes it worse. We'll give him pain killers and a sedative with the fever reducers. We've seen it top out at 115F, and we'll definitely want to keep a close eye on it. Fevers can interfere with other healing needs, pull the body's resources away. We'll want to bring this down as quickly as possible so his energy can go where it's needed. He's still got a ways to go." The doctor fixed a contemplative look on Lio, and the crease in her brow gave away her worry.

Galo nodded and scrubbed a hand wearily across his face, trying to steady his breathing as the medical team finished documenting stats, applying cooling patches, and inserting an IV line again. With a final instruction that rest was the most important thing right now, the medical team departed.

The following stillness seemed unnatural, putting Galo more on edge as he looked at the silent suffering infused in Lio's face. With nothing but the steady beep of the monitors and the fading afternoon sunlight for company, Galo sat down again and slumped over the bed, resting his cheek against Lio's sheet-covered thigh and wrapping his hand around the one that had recently been buried in his hair.

The quiet seemed to taunt him with all the things he hadn't been able to say or do while Lio was still conscious. With a vulnerability that stunned Galo, Lio had shown him a glimpse of the intense inner pain coiled around his heart. And Galo had again been unable to offer comfort that was so obviously desperately needed. He squeezed his eyes closed as he gripped Lio's hand tighter.

Something buzzing broke through his inner turmoil. Galo straightened when he realized it was the phone in his pocket, and it wasn't the first time it had gone off.

Whipping it out, he saw 16 unread messages, a missed call from Meis, and six missed calls in the last 10 minutes from Gueira with a seventh incoming. He almost dropped his phone in his haste to answer.

Turns out the Burning Rescue team had made a quick stop to bring Meis and Gueira pizza, too, so Galo was put on speakerphone with many people yelling at him at once for missing an hourly check-in. Galo quickly apologized and gave them an update about the fever, repeating the doctor's earlier assurances about the lack of immediate danger. Gueira sounded tearful as he promised they'd come back in a couple of hours to take care of the boss in person.

"And you'd better not miss another check-in!" Gueira all but snarled. Then he paused and Galo could tell he had taken the call off speaker phone. In a secretive voice he said, "Really good pictures, though." And hung up.

For some reason, that eased a bit Galo's former distress. He wasn't alone. His lips quirked in a half smile. And at least someone appreciated his efforts. His eyes were drawn back to that sleeping face.

Seeing Lio's tension from the discomfort of his fever, Galo smoothed a cool hand over his forehead and felt a moment of satisfaction when it relaxed. He took a pic and sent it for good measure.

"A lot of people care about you," He murmured in Lio's ear. "You matter to us. We're in this together."

And Galo's frustration flared up again, realizing he didn't know if those were the right things to say, even if Lio had been awake. _What do you need?_ He bit his lip and felt his eyes sting, replaying again what Lio had just told him. So much pain bound up in this small figure, so much weight on those slender shoulders. And Lio just held on to all of it, afraid to release its impact on others. The destroyed look on his face had carved itself into Galo's mind. It was like all the heat and darkness and fury of Lio's Promare dragon was locked up inside of him, devouring him. For the first time, Galo began to understand why Lio had kept his physical pain a secret.

Galo had to figure out something to help this exceptionally brave person though. That kind of soul burning was destructive, and watching Lio suffer was a special kind of agony that he could not bear much longer.

The flushed face was once again twisting. Galo decided he didn't care about invisible boundaries right now. Rising from his chair, he gently slid his left arm under Lio's neck and shoulders, pressing his lips together as the almost-painful heat touched his scarred skin. But he kept going. Shifting the IV line to make sure it didn't pull, he climbed onto the bed slowly, watching for any signs that he was disrupting Lio's sedated slumber. In a confident, steady movement, he carefully scooped up the burning figure, easily fitting him into his larger embrace, seated in his lap. He rested a hand on the back of Lio's neck, keeping his face securely in the crook between Galo's shoulder and neck, and tightened his other arm around Lio's waist so they were chest to chest, Galo absorbing the waves of heat radiating from the slender torso despite the strategically placed cooling patches.

It was burning even through his shirt. But _it wasn't hot at all_.

Galo had sent two more updates but hadn't moved from his spot, content to just close his eyes and hold Lio. His colleagues would probably marvel at the thought that he could sit still that long. But it was the constant exposure to Lio's elevated temperature that became more difficult to bear. While his soul could ignore the heat, his body found it more difficult. Galo's skin had long gone completely flushed and it was all he could do to keep the sweat from dripping in his eyes. His body ached and his left arm throbbed in a way it hadn't since his scars initially healed. He knew it didn't make _medical_ sense to hold Lio, but he didn't consider moving away. Partially because he couldn't imagine leaving Lio to endure this alone, even if there was nothing he could do to help. And partially because this was the first time since Lio's injuries had resurfaced that Galo's heart felt even a little at ease. Because it was as close to Lio's as it could get.

And so he held on.

The next time Galo opened his eyes, the sunlight was completely gone and Meis and Gueira were in front of him, arms crossed, with intensely unreadable expressions. It took a moment for his muddled mind to clear. Lio was still slumped against his chest, cheek on his shoulder. The feverish body seemed to be carrying less tension than before, but it also seemed hotter. A glance at the monitor showed 114 degrees. For the first time since the fever started, Galo could see a line of sweat beading at Lio's hairline.

Without speaking, Galo nodded them over as he leaned forward. He carefully lifted Lio and scooted himself off the bed so the two Mad Burnish could take his place. He wobbled as he found his legs, a twist of lightheaded vertigo telling him he was definitely overheated. Gueira wordlessly provided a steadying arm until Galo was stable again. Then the two climbed on the bed, one on each side of Lio, winding their arms around their sleeping boss. They both looked exhausted and seemed to fall asleep as soon as their cheeks rested against soft, pale hair.

Galo shivered slightly as the air began cooling him down. His head hurt, and his muscles spasmed slightly as the ache of excess heat left them. His throat was parched. He could only imagine what it must be like for that heat to be locked inside of Lio's body, inescapable. And probably miserably unfamiliar. He hated that Lio's temperature had gone up rather than down, and now bordered at the edge of what the doctor knew to expect.

Shaking his head, Galo tried to stretch out his knotting muscles and not dwell on what he couldn't change. Grabbing a water bottle from a supply cabinet in the room, Galo glanced at the Burnish trio as he gulped the liquid down. He had never seen the three so unguarded. It was unexpectedly calming. And a rare opportunity. With a little mischievous smile, he took an update picture with all three of them together and sent it to his crew, letting them know he was going to rest, and would just update them if anything changed. Their responses to the picture, for once, made Galo grin in agreement. Especially Aina's long string of heart faces.

As he stood there looking at them, though, he felt like he was looking through time. Years of practiced trust and understanding was laid out in front of him. The trio's devotion to each other was unmistakable, and Galo felt a depth of respect for the two who cherished Lio so deeply. It also gave him a kernel of hope. A visual example of what was indeed possible. Despite a few implacable walls, these were people Lio had stayed with, would not leave.

_It is possible_.

And Galo never gave up.

He was still afraid of what was to come, and torn about what he could do to help. He didn't have everything figured out. But he would keep moving forward until he found a way. For now, as his body grew heavier with fatigue, hope gave him some peace so he could sleep.

Galo woke up with a jolt as something flopped onto his cot. Quickly scrubbing at his eyes as they adjusted to the early morning light, he saw that something was Meis.

"You drool in your sleep," the Burnish smirked.

"I know," Galo muttered, wiping his mouth and glancing over to see Lio, flush-faced but awake and coherent, looking at some papers with Gueira on the bed. His relief to see Lio awake was replaced by foreboding when he saw Lio's 116F temperature reading. But both feelings got whisked away as he noticed the look on Lio's face.

Lio was all glowing wonder layered with soft affection at whatever was on those papers.

Galo didn't know when his phone had gotten into his hand, but the camera app was already open and his finger rapidly pressing the shutter button.

Meis chuckled but didn't tease him as he, too, watched the scene with fondness, his elbow propped up on his knee and his chin in his hand. Then he sighed.

"We need your help."

Galo looked over at Meis in surprise. The Burnish's face had turned hard as he looked at Galo.

"We already went through updates with Boss and things are as good as can be expected." Galo was sure that was largely due to his and Gueira's efforts, so he gave an encouraging smile.

"But we got the list of the dead that have been identified so far. That scientist who broke the engine has made it her personal mission to document everything about the crimes against the Burnish, so this is going to be a thorough process. Boss was pleased to hear that."

All remaining traces of resentment towards Heris were erased for Galo as he heard that. The natural compassion he had felt when he understood her situation took over completely and he had to admire her resolve to face the aftermath head on.

Meis gave a small shake of his head at Galo's relieved look.

"He has a list. Of the dead. He's going to look at it after we leave and torture himself with it."

Galo felt the blood drain from his face. Meis continued.

"Don't let him do that."

"Why did you give it to him if you don't want him to read it?!"

Meis narrowed his eye. "_We_ don't keep things from Boss. It's one of the reasons he's as open with us as he is. It's a trust thing."

"So you want _me_ to get rid of it?" Galo felt a little offended at being asked to do the dirty work.

"No! Cinders and smoke, you are dumb. He has it, that's done. You need to find a way to keep it from becoming his own personal inferno."

"H-how do I do that?!"

"You figure it out. You're dumb, but you're not stupid," Meis grinned at him. Then the smile dimmed with introspection as he broke eye contact. "You have a way."

The _with him_ silent but potent.

Galo thought Meis was giving him too much credit, but…

"I'll give it everything I've got," he promised, hoping his sheer determination covered for any lack of confidence he felt.

Meis pursed his lips and gave a noncommital _hmm_. Then he grabbed the phone from Galo's hands, selected all the photos from a minute ago into a single album and sent it to the _Update About Lio_ list. With a final smirk he stood.

"Don't lose that good eye."

Galo was slightly envious of the look of gratitude and high estimation Lio gave the two as he approved their efforts so far and they departed for another long day. Their lingering goodbyes, though, had given him time to plan. No one would accuse Galo of being a planner, but this was serious.

Plan A in Galo's Extinguish Lio's Combustive Guilt initiative was to avoid lighting the fire entirely by distracting Lio towards something he would enjoy instead. Besides, Galo was curious about those earlier papers that made Lio's face do so many pretty things. So he asked.

Plan A backfired.

Turns out the papers were drawings some of the Burnish kids had made for Lio when they heard he was sick. As he talked about the children and showed Galo the pictures, Lio's face became so beautifully animated, a stunning combination of lively and soft, that it was Galo who became completely distracted.

Until the spark had already caught the kindling.

Galo was still in a daze staring at all the nuanced changes in the face before him, so he hardly noticed when Lio set aside the pictures. He definitely noticed when that face shifted to somber and felt a moment of panic when he saw the packet already in Lio's hands.

Galo tried to rush into Plan B. Ah, breakfast, the most important meal of the day! They should call for some, even if it was just hospital food. Lio didn't even look up at that as he slid papers from the manila envelope, replying that he'd already had breakfast while Galo was sleeping.

"But you should go get some," Lio continued, glancing up. "I'd like to review these alone, anyway."

This was not the plan! This was the opposite of the plan! What was Plan C?!

Galo had never been more relieved to see a nurse enter the room. The nurse moved to the far side of the bed where all the machines and medical equipment were, to begin a patient review. Lio had to pause as the man asked some standard questions, documenting his responses and the readings from the monitors.

In an act of sheer desperation to stay in the room and buy himself time, Galo hurried over to the nurse. He then insistently peppered the nurse with questions about what all the readings meant, with the excuse that he wanted to be able to keep an eye on things. _Anything to prolong the distraction. _

Lio raised a brow at Galo's weird new interest, then went back to the pages of lists in his hands. _Argh, couldn't he just take them and... fling them out the window?!_

It was while the nurse was changing the IV tubing that he lost his patience with Galo's hovering. He started lecturing him about interfering with professional medical staff who were too busy to give him a crash course in medicine. It was because of this heated interaction that neither of them noticed the patient move until he was already wobbling unsteadily on his feet on the other side of the bed.

"Hey!" The nurse exclaimed, IV tube still in hand. He reached across and grabbed Lio's arm. "Where are you going?!"

Lio in nothing but hospital pajama bottoms and cooling patches, hair mussed, legs unsteady, face red with fever, several inches shorter than either of the other two men, still managed to look disdainfully _down_ at them with an invisible elegance as he tried unsuccessfully to jerk his arm back. He held up the papers still in his hand.

"I'm needed elsewhere. These aren't just the names of the dead. They're mothers and fathers, best friends, siblings, sons and daughters-and they're gone. They left holes. I need to go be with the people who were left behind. I owe them that much at least."

Unsurprisingly, the nurse only vaguely understood the context of this statement in relation to the Burnish's recent abuse. "I understand," he stated, in a tone that clearly said he didn't. He kept his grip on Lio's wrist. "But the dead aren't getting any less dead because you go out there."

Galo felt like the wind had been knocked out of him as those words broke across Lio's face. Then something shattered and Galo could see why the leader of the Mad Burnish had been considered an expert fighter, beyond his use of the flames.

With an efficient twist, Lio had his arm free and the nurse facedown on the bed. He then swooped across the room and was out the door before Galo had taken two steps.

To be honest, Galo didn't think he would have caught Lio if he hadn't had a debilitating fever and several days of trauma behind him. Lio was already at the end of the hall by the time Galo burst through the room's doorway, but he was holding onto a support railing, clearly fighting to stay upright. Galo didn't slow his run until he slid to a stop beside Lio, who had just fallen to his knees. Galo barely processed his look of strained anger and exhaustion before he hauled the petite frame over his shoulder in one smooth motion. He marched back to the room. The two people he passed scurried out of the way when they saw his face. Lio banged a fist weakly against Galo's back a couple of times before twisting fingers in his shirt and holding on.

"Leave." Galo commanded the offending nurse as soon as he entered the room.

The nurse swallowed at Galo's look, "But…" and held up the still detached IV.

Galo grabbed it from him and leaned closer.

"Leave."

The nurse scurried around the bed and out the door, shutting it emphatically behind him.

Galo flipped Lio off his shoulder in a carefully controlled move and made sure his head was supported as he lay it against the pillow. Lio didn't protest the position, as his fingers curled in the sheets and Galo could tell from his eye movement that he was experiencing vertigo. Galo silently reattached the IV line to the catheter still embedded in Lio's arm, grateful that it hadn't been torn out in the struggle. He glanced at the monitor and scowled when he saw 120F. This activity had obviously not been good for Lio.

Galo pulled the chair as close as possible to the bed, sat down, and braced his hands on his knees, elbows cocked to the side. He tried to ease some of the glare out of his face as Lio regained his bearings, because it mostly wasn't aimed at him. When Lio finally looked over, his own glare weakened by the lightheadedness he clearly still felt, Galo was blunt.

"And people say _I'm_ impulsive. Do you really think you'd be helping those people if you showed up there now, like this? Do you think that would raise their spirits?"

The rise and fall of Lio's chest sped up and his eyes became glossy, but he wouldn't let tears fall.

"I failed them, I'm not going to hide from that," Lio's voice was raspy. "I'm not a coward who won't take responsibility, who leaves them to face the consequences."

And in an instant, it was once again crystal clear to Galo how infinitely superior Lio Fotia was to the former governor of Promepolis.

"They _do_ need you. Which is why you need to take care of yourself. So you _can_ be there for them."

Lio turned and glared at the ceiling, hair fanning away from his face so Galo could see the tension in the graceful line of his almost-healed jaw. The lips tightly together, struggling.

"It's not fair that I'm here and they're not."

Galo knew they were no longer talking about the living.

"So invite them back to stay."

When Lio looked over, Galo lightly tapped a finger to Lio's forehead, then placed a hand over his heart for a moment. Lio's glare shifted to something vulnerably open at these touches.

"As long as you live, they're _here_. You're a home for them. Your life continues their stories, too."

Lio's eyes were intense and unwavering, absorbing Galo's words. Hearing him, but unsure how to accept.

"I'd like to hear those. Some of their stories. I didn't get to meet most of them myself."

He gently pried the lists of names from where they were still clenched in Lio's hand. He picked up a pen from the side table and smoothed the papers across one of the medical chart clipboards, ready to write.

"Tell me about them."

And Lio did. Vivid tales, anecdotes, impressions, Lio had something insightful to say about name after name on the list. There was no sequence to it, Galo just flipped to the right place in the alphabetical list when Lio mentioned a new name, and took down notes.

After the first few hesitant sentences, Galo glanced up and saw that the struggle to hold back tears was causing many of the pauses. Without saying anything, he turned his chair around and propped up his legs on the other chair, his back to Lio, still writing away. There was a longer pause and then Lio's voice flowed more smoothly, tension no longer holding back his vocal chords.

They continued for an hour, Galo occasionally asking a question back when a comment of Lio's would grab his attention. A picture was painted through this sprinkling of insights, of Lio and a network of Mad Burnish working across borders and cultural differences to establish, support, and protect settlements, masked as a bunch of gaudy, chaotic biker gangs. Of deeply shared experiences and the communities connected by them. Lio likely didn't know all of the names on this list, but he knew many, intimately.

They were no longer just names on a list for Galo, either.

Galo asked for a break so he could send an update, and Lio was grateful. He couldn't tell if the ache in his throat was from the talking or the fever. Literally everything hurt in a way that made it impossible to ignore. His bones felt brittle. Joints on fire. Head squeezing behind his eyes. And every small draft felt like ice against his baking skin. How could heat feel like this?

He had been watching Galo's back the whole hour. First to make sure he didn't turn around and see the streams marking his cheeks, then because it looked strong and reminded him of that elusive feeling of strength he felt when close to Galo.

Also… it was really nice to look at the way the cloth stretched with his little movements…

It wasn't too bad to be draped over that back either, he thought now with a little thrill, delirious as he'd been. Remembering his return "ride" to the room, feeling solid muscle ripple through the shirt beneath his hand, he closed his eyes and his mind swam hazily between thought and feeling. He drifted into a familiar place inside, where ideas and connections became tangible.

_Safe was the first word that came to mind, like he'd been carried back from the edge of a precipice. And then a hand had held his as he walked down the mountain, fear, fury, and despair easing away with each step as he looked at the faces that drifted by-no longer accusing, they were greeting from beside the path, cherished parts of the journey. Some were walking alongside him still, their hands lending him strength._

"Hey."

Lio felt a cool hand hold his cheek. He forced himself to drag his eyelids open.

Galo's worried face swam into view, but he wasn't looking at Lio. His eyes were locked on the monitor. Lio moved his head slowly to look over and the numbers rearranged themselves a few times in his vision before 125 appeared. Then changed to 126.

Galo pushed the call button, then took Lio's hand.

"Stay with me, okay?"

Lio was confused. "Where would I go?"

Was that _his_ voice, trembling and breathy?

Galo just bit his lip and squeezed his hand.

Time was stretching around in strange ways, but there was a hospital worker now shifting the cooling patches and touching his skin, then pulling away quickly at the heat, looking troubled. When she realized he was watching her face, she gave him a practiced smile and said, "Hang in there, we'll get you better so you can go home."

Only those words made him feel worse, and a swirl of fear followed him down into darkness.

_There is nothing for him to stand on so he keeps falling._

_He doesn't belong here anymore. This place of connection. The flames are gone, so what is there to connect with?_

_But there is nowhere else, either._

_Just people. He drifts close to figures he can start to see, hazy, beautiful, glowing with colors, important. But he floats right through them. He belongs with them, but he's never quite _with_ them._

_And so they fade and fall and he cries and it burns and he's alone. And there is a glassy surface in front of him and he looks at it and instead of his reflection a dragon looks back, crying because it's alone and its fire is gone. _

_But behind it, he can see something else. He turns to look over his own shoulder, and sure enough, there is a star that grows into a sun, flickering but soothing-warm and bright, winding a path towards him, leaving a trail of fire in its wake, a trail of fire leading to-_

And he was yanked up violently from the dream as cold _burned_ him alive and his whole being rebelled. Panic, as he realized he had no control, and there were voices around him getting louder. Familiar hands. And then darkness again.

_Everything just swirls in chaos after that, and it lasts an eternity. He's been locked here now, there is no way out. Equilibrium slowly, slowly returns and he has feet and they carry him along the fire path, which doesn't burn him. Voices echo from it, but one in particular is consistent and it's pulling him forward with the steady sound of a heartbeat._

Galo stared at the eight types of chips, nine types of candy bars, three bags of nuts, and four types of gum on display in the vending machine in front of him. Oh, and they had Poptarts, too. He wasn't quite sure why he was currently leaning against this shrine to unhealthy eating, other than to avoid friction with Meis and Gueira. They had taken one look at him and kicked him out of Lio's room with orders to not come back until he'd had a decent meal.

He'd had enough energy to make it to this floor's lobby, but he hadn't felt inspired to look further.

The doctors were no longer so blasé about Lio's fever as it had peaked over 130F. The only small blessing in the past several hours of fear and stress had been that Lio remained completely unconscious and hopefully escaped the pain for awhile. That is, until the doctor had determined the cooling patches were obviously no longer enough and ordered an ice bath. A tremor ran through Galo as he remembered the way Lio's body had contorted, the agonized scream as the frozen substance had engulfed his burning skin. The doctor had given him a powerful, fact-acting sedative, knocking Lio out again. Very slowly, things seemed to improve as the ice consumed the surplus heat his body was pouring all its resources into generating. Degree by slow degree, the temperature of his core went down.

Meis and Gueira had hurried back as soon as Galo reported the danger. It was a testament to the difficulty and delicacy of the challenges they were currently managing with the Burnish that they left again not long after Lio's temperature began to subside. Looking haggard as they departed, Meis had simply said, "This is what we can do for him right now."

They had returned that evening and the doctor had had a brief conversation with the three of them. She admitted she was concerned. Not that the healing process wouldn't proceed, but they could all see how weak Lio was becoming. She planned to consult with an expert and circle back with them the next day.

Galo could barely swallow past the tightness in his throat. He definitely wasn't hungry.

Except… a delicious smell began to invade his awareness. Looking wearily up, he saw Ignis walk into the lobby, two large paper bags in his fist. And if Galo wasn't mistaken, they must contain food from the best Chinese place in town, the one right around the corner from their station.

Ignis caught sight of him, and walked over. Without slowing, he put a hand on Galo's back and steered him away from the vending machine and over to the quietest corner of the dim waiting room.

Galo opened his mouth to speak, trying to summon the energy to give Ignis a full update, but his captain simply shook his head and handed Galo a massive order of his favorite chicken dish and a pair of chopsticks. They ate in silence for the next 10 minutes, and Galo marveled that he had enough appetite to eat the whole thing.

"Captain-" Galo began, but Ignis shoved a salad into his hands next and wouldn't listen to anything until the rookie had finished his vegetables.

For some reason, that did it. Galo clutched the salad like a lifeline and the dam broke, the first tears trickling down. Soon they were streams that flowed faster with each breath that caught in his throat. But as the tears blurred his view and each exhale fought free, the knot of anguish inside unwound into ribbons of grief that he was able to release.

Ignis just leaned back in his chair, giving Galo the space to let go. He placed a steady hand on his back, silently encouraging him to take his time. After a solid few minutes, sorrow ebbing and flowing as Galo replayed scenes he needed to process, the tears began to slow. Galo glanced at Ignis, who pointedly looked down at the neglected leafy greens. With a quirk of the lips that was almost a smile and a sigh that was almost exasperated, Galo obediently took the plastic fork from the container and methodically finished the whole thing.

Scrubbing an arm across his eyes, Galo sat back, too, feeling unreasonably better. His head was clearer and with it, the thoughts that were plaguing him sharpened.

"I don't know what I can do," Galo began. Ignis tilted his head slightly to show that he was listening.

"I don't know how to help if he doesn't want it. I thought I rescued him and then all this worse stuff is happening, and that's bad enough, but if, if he doesn't say what's wrong or what's hurting… and he's getting eaten on the inside. I'm trying, but I don't know what I can do."

Ignis nodded as he took the empty containers from Galo's hands and set them aside.

"There are different kinds of rescuing people, Galo. It's not always flashy or dramatic, and it's not always something you can do without their help."

"But… if they don't want-"

"What do we always do first when we approach a rescue?"

"Assess the situation," Galo recited back automatically.

"Right. And what if there's a lot of smoke?"

Galo thought a moment. "We have to use scanners and sensors to see what's really happening. Where the fire is, where the people are…"

"Yes. Sometimes you have to see in different ways before you can help. That coat," Ignis plucked at the sleeve of his Burning Rescue jacket and nodded vaguely back to the hall leading to Lio's room, "Hid a lot of injuries. Some hurting isn't going to be obvious, so you have to find other ways of seeing what is there. Behind the smoke."

Galo leaned forward and propped his elbows on his knees, brows creased. He pressed his mouth against his clasped hands.

"How can I see what is covered up?"

"Think about what he's told you, with and without words. What he's shown you in actions and between the sentences."

Galo closed his eyes and a composite picture of Lio began to take shape in Galo's mind, a collection of the words and expressions Lio had shared. Points of pain stood out like heat spots on a thermal scan.

The destruction of home, which echoed in Galo's own heart. Constant persecution. An almost unbearable need to protect his people. Guilt. Rage. Fear. Not for himself, but…

Galo opened his eyes as the picture crystallized.

Ignis continued, "Most hidden things don't form overnight and they aren't resolved that way, either. It's something that needs to come from within the person themselves, and all we can do is help give them a clear path and a hand to hold. Deeper things take time. Are you willing to be there for that?"

"Yes." Galo stated without hesitation.

"Well then. What do you think Lio needs to have a clear path?"

"He needs… he needs to know that." Galo looked at Ignis now. "That we will be there in this way for the things _he_ needs. He needs to _need_. I mean, it sometimes looks weird, but he cares about people _a lot_, and fear for _them_ made him think he couldn't need for _himself_. Like, he sees his own needs as not important or even as a weakness," Galo began sorting invisible things with his hands to illustrate, "And weakness, especially his own, is basically failing to protect those he cares about. Does that make sense?"

Ignis smiled. "Yes. And at the same time, absolutely not."

Galo nodded. "Right? He thinks he has to hold everything up alone. But it's not even that he doesn't _want_ help, he doesn't know it's _okay_ to need it."

Ignis gave Galo a look that made him feel warm.

"Sometimes avoiding weakness means we lose out on strength." The captain concluded. "Finish your rescue now that you see past the smoke. Show him how much stronger he can be. Maybe we'll all get through this."

* * *

Love Ignis.

Also, Galo, you're just the best.

Next chapter… gets us to the mid point! Which means realizations and shifts in the character arcs! Also new stakes for both Lio and the Burnish at large.

This is pretty much the only place I get to geek out about this stuff, so I've enjoyed the kind, encouraging enthusiasm from folks who like this kind of content. That said, it occurred to me that people may have some critiques that they don't feel comfortable calling me out on right on the story itself, and I don't want to miss out on honest feedback I can learn from or at least acknowledge. Or you may just want to say something more privately! So, feel free to DM me on Twitter with anything- akadoreengreene (not my real name, haha, I just like Squirrel Girl)

I may not enjoy blurting out my thoughts in 240 character or less very often, but I do like having conversations with people.


	5. Don't, Hands

Weeeeeell, it's been awhile. There was a lot to work on across the whole next part of the fic, and I kind of had to do major chunks of it at once, rather than a single chapter. But the next ones should be coming pretty regularly now. :) Thanks to the extraordinary dedication, patience, and encouragement of Spectrospecs, beta reader extraordinaire!

* * *

Lio was aware that he was awake, and it was the poorest decision he had ever made.

His eyes peered into the morning light, trying to make sense of his current terrible existence. He was lying on the bed in a shallow inflatable bath packed with ice rapidly melting against his skin, and it was the worst of both worlds. He ached from within and without as the two conflicting temperatures fought for dominance. He could hear the rapid clinks and slushing as the ice shifted against itself in time with his shivers. He appreciated for a moment how much the Promare must have protected the Burnish from the effects of temperature, because this unfamiliar sensation felt all-consumingly bad.

He was far, far too exhausted to speak or move, but panic was beginning to build as he lay locked in ice again. His eyes darted around the room frantically, until they fell on his doctor and Galo talking a few feet away. Lio somehow remembered Meis and Gueira had been there while he was out, so their absence must mean he was doing better, even if it didn't feel that way.

The powerful lines of Galo's back were not as straight as usual, his shoulders slumped forward. He looked so weary, it gave Lio a whole new kind of ache. Still, the edge of panic eased and that tentative-strong feeling filled him again as he looked at his dedicated companion. He started piecing together meaning from the conversation in front of him.

"-normal?"

"No. Even with the recent Burnish fevers, the temperature levels and duration were nowhere near this. Those have usually been their bodies trying to adjust their own internal heating processes to more normal levels. This is like his body wants to be getting hotter. The fact that even with ice it's fighting hard enough to stay at about 120 defies the boundaries of physiology. Not sure how to explain it, but should hopefully have more info to go on soon."

"It was…" Wow, Lio couldn't get two words out without losing his breath.

"Lio!"

The other two quickly moved closer as he tried again, taking a deeper, intentional breath, straining against the shuddering cold pressing on him.

"It's probably-" The air was gone again so he dragged in some more. "-linked to being in the dragon." He had to take three more shuddering breaths before he could think of summoning another sound. Galo cut in first, looking worried at Lio's labored breathing, hands raised in a calming gesture.

"You don't have to explain," he spoke in a hushed tone, as if urging Lio to silence.

Lio would have scowled, if he had any energy to direct his own face. It was an effort to keep his eyes open. Instead, he sent the ferocity he felt but couldn't visually express to his voice and continued anyway.

"I made it in a v-volcano." He choked on a small cough as the cold air he was pulling in contracted his burning lungs. Galo opened his mouth, expression strained, and Lio must have managed some kind of glare because he shut it again. Lio tried to pull in a deeper breath, ignored the sting in his lungs and the way his heart fluttered unnaturally, and immediately continued, "It definitely pushed my body-" Release, inhale. "Beyond anything normal-" Release, inhale. "For a Burnish." Lio fell into a pattern of shallow, soft panting as he accepted the relief of finishing his sentence.

Galo looked to the doctor in distress, gritting his teeth, clearly asking her to do something to stop Lio from continuing.

The doctor glanced at Lio's vitals monitor and seemed to make a decision. Instead of silencing Lio, she asked for clarification.

"So, you were _inside_ a fire for a period of time?"

Galo jumped in to answer, frowning at her, "Yeah, an extremely hot one." He stated the obvious in irritation.

Lio wished he had the dragon right now so he could remind Galo just how hot he could make things if someone tried to _restrain_ or _silence_ him.

"And it was inside me. _I was the fire_." Lio said pointedly as he made deliberate eye contact with Galo. He was sure it would have been intimidating if his voice wasn't so thready. Galo just returned his stare, admonishing, and not backing down. So Lio shifted his gaze to the doctor and ignored the stubborn firefighter. He had to pause for breaths still, but he had figured out how to get through his sentences now. "At the time-I was basically-okay with it if they-consumed me all the way-as long as it worked." He paused for a moment, then particularly avoided Galo's gaze as he admitted, "It was excessive-I guess this is the payback."

He could feel the effects of pushing it, as his head swam and his pulse flickered irregularly in his throat. The ice somehow seemed to grow colder and sink in deeper. He clenched his teeth to keep them from chattering but could still feel his jaw trembling. He could tell Galo was looking at him and probably seeing things he couldn't hide. He didn't want to confirm that, so he continued to stare at the doctor instead.

She finished writing down a few notes and then gave him an assessing look. "For now, at least the current temperature isn't permanently damaging. That said, I've reached out to what experts we have on Burnish physiology, to get a better read on your situation overall."

Lio assumed that meant she was worried. He thought if he felt better, he might be worried too, but was too miserable to care at the moment.

"Lio," she lowered her clipboard and focused full attention on him. "I do want to be fully honest with you. I already explained this to Galo, and the concern he's expressing is valid. Your body is at its limit, and that means everything is in a very vulnerable state. Especially your heart. It's had to survive a lot of strain, and we've already had to start medications to keep it steady and ease the load." She nodded to the IV. "It was… having some trouble while you were unconscious."

Lio blinked and glanced at Galo who was now staring at the floor in a pose that looked too much like defeat to be natural on the Galo he knew. Trying to ignore a flicker of regret, he pulled his eyes back to the doctor.

But he didn't know what she wanted him to say.

She seemed to understand, and clarified her expectation, "_Don't push yourself_. There isn't much more we can do for you until this fever passes. So take it easy."

"I don't have much choice, do I?" Lio responded with the shadow of a frown. In demonstration, he pushed as much as he could against the ice that locked him down. It barely shifted.

"I'm glad you understand the situation," she said with a little gallows humor in her tone, seemingly impervious to Lio-glares. She gave a final promise to check in soon, and departed.

He tried to hold onto the feeling of irrational anger, but it melted away like the ice, replaced again by misery. The world was still swimming. He didn't feel quite present. Like part of himself was still in the other place, where things connected and thoughts became real-sometimes too real. The view of a familiar path and the view of his hospital room overlapped and made his head spin. He needed an anchor. He wondered if the one next to him was still mad at him.

"This does not feel good."

Galo barked a laugh, collapsing into the seat next to him. "No, it doesn't," he said, lightly poking a finger at Lio's cheek in a move that could only be intended to annoy. "Hah. I think that's the first time I've heard you admit it, though."

Galo propped his cheek in his hand, his eyebrow raised, his small smile at Lio exasperated and fond, but tinged with sadness.

Lio frowned slightly when the smile once again did that pull-thing inside him. It made him stumble forward on the path, which still hadn't faded from view. He pushed back with his heels, refusing to be led who knew where.

So he looked away from Galo and turned to his own thoughts which didn't lead him anywhere pleasant, either. He knew he deserved this payback for creating something like the dragon, and it was made all the worse by the fact that he hadn't even managed to free anyone with it. It had been a failure through and through. The only thing that had kept it from being an irreversible disaster was…

Lio glanced back at Galo and felt a new surge of fury when he saw he was on his phone, no doubt sending an update to everyone. Lio _hated_ that everyone knew every new weakness that came up, and when had he even found an opening to take a picture?! He hoped Galo had the decency not to when he was like this.

"Don't _do_ that."

Galo looked up as Lio growled at him. Paused. Then casually thumbed the send button while returning the phone to his pocket. When Lio's glare darkened at him, Galo pressed his lips together. Then took a very intentional breath in, pressing his hands together with a look of resolve.

"Does it... _help_ to talk about the dragon thing?"

Lio heard the _why were you fighting me?_ implied. But Galo also had a knowing look, like he had already figured out why and was trying to get Lio to think about his own actions. Which was _irritating_.

"Because we can talk about it... _carefully_."

"There's nothing to talk about."

At least breathing had somehow gotten a little easier with practice. The path began moving as he imagined himself stomping down it, trying to get away. The movement was dizzying, but the contrast was a relief to his inability to move physically.

Galo just raised a brow.

"It's bothering you."

It was _annoying_ the way Galo saw everything he _wasn't_ saying.

"You were there, you already know everything." _Mr. Know-it-all_.

"Obviously I don't."

It became difficult to speak again, but he pushed it out. "_I don't want to talk about it_."

The thought of revealing more about that horrible part of himself set off a wildfire inside, and it took the shape of a dragon consuming the pathway ahead, promising unending pain, returned from a past he was trying so hard to move past. It was dark, it was ugly, it was anguish. He didn't want Galo to see, hated that he had already seen what he had.

Some monitor was beeping and the room was swirling and Galo was now standing with a look of panic and remorse.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, we don't have to talk about it-" He placed a hand on Lio's head and Lio could feel it shaking. "We won't talk about it." He promised.

Lio had his eyes clenched shut against the nauseating swirl and it was all he could do to focus on breathing.

"We... won't talk."

The broken tone in Galo's voice instantly tore a crack in Lio's heart, and his eyes flicked open as he tried to control his gasping breaths. They stopped for a moment at the look of crushing despair on Galo's face.

No, no, no, that wasn't supposed to be on Galo's face, he was the precious hope that shone in Lio's soul-

The part of Lio that was on the path reached back immediately to comfort- he was startled as scared words echoed back in Galo's voice. _Let me help. Don't hate me or I can't help_.

Of course he didn't hate Galo. This was about his own weakness. Surely Galo knew that. After all, he continued to be able to see it no matter what Lio tried to do.

So, he realized in a moment of clarity, the only way to make up for showing that kind of weakness in the first place was to double down. He glared at the dragon on the path. No wildfire would defeat him. He'd walk right through it and _burn_. If he couldn't hide this from Galo, he'd just have to own it. Fully.

With that resolve, his heart and lungs seemed to find their own rhythm again.

There was a raw satisfaction in facing up to judgment.

"What don't you already know about it? The dragon?"

He wished his voice sounded stronger. It just sounded vulnerable, which was not the direction he was trying to go with this.

Galo obviously hadn't expected this turn and didn't answer at first. Lio _hated_ the scared look on his face. Galo shouldn't have looks like that.

The dragon on the path growled in fury-or was it panic?-wanting to consume. Galo's eyes were drawn to the vitals monitor, and they widened as he straightened and once more brought up placating hands.

"Okay, okay, um..." He looked like he really regretted ever starting this conversation. "Well, I was thinking about it, and it didn't seem very... _you_."

"It _was_ me. At my worst." _Look at how ugly it is_.

"No, I mean..." Galo stopped and tried to collect himself.

He sat back down slowly, eyes becoming focused and intensely thoughtful, never breaking from Lio's. He was fully invested in this moment. Cautious, direct, and caring.

Much better than the fear and despair. It immediately became one of Lio's favorite Galo-looks.

…

He had favorites?

Before Lio could float away with that thought, Galo's voice brought him back as he began explaining.

"I don't get the timing or why- I mean, it didn't seem, um, strategic. Don't get me wrong, I love just going for a goal." Galo held up a resolute fist and Lio's lips twitched, eyes flickering with amusement and the dragon seemed to shrink just a bit. "But you know how to be smarter about stuff. You said Meis and Gueira had made sure you got away. The dragon didn't seem… planned. Very well."

Galo paused, watching him carefully.

Lio closed his eyes for a moment, trying to build reserves to face this. Because Galo was right. And Lio deserved to be called out.

"You… were really upset."

Galo's tone of voice drew Lio's eyes open and back to him.

...

It was...

..._concern_ rather than recrimination.

"You were crying."

Familiar barbs of shame tried to dig in, but slipped strangely off when the compassion in Galo's eyes declared the statement an act of caring rather than an accusation. A request for understanding.

There was a whisper in that inner place of connection where part of his consciousness still hovered on a pathway. It had started to glow with its own fire. _Let me in_.

Lio shivered from more than the ice. He planted his feet more firmly on the trail, now knowing where to begin forming his wall.

"I was living fire." Lio's voice was tight. "I wasn't crying."

He tried not to give any ground as Galo's face filled with a burning intensity, that searing firefighter's soul, focused on him like a flamethrower. A disorienting combination of searching and conviction.

"It's okay to cry."

Lio barely heard the words before they glanced right off. His body was still locked in cold-combating tremors, but his face was unmoving as he said nothing. Inner hands still pressed resolutely against a wall of flames, solid as iron, holding it strong.

"Actually, it really helps."

Helps who? Lio didn't even blink. This pathetic attack couldn't make a dent.

A look of frustration drifted across Galo's face but the clouds suddenly parted with the brilliance of his grin. Lio's eyes widened. He felt like he'd been flipped upside down, fingers scrabbling against a now unstable surface.

"I cried just yesterday!"

He said it with such contradictory pride and satisfaction. Lio's hands were no longer holding up a wall at all, they were pressed against something much warmer. Galo had phased right through.

What… was he supposed to do with such good-natured, confident vulnerability?

Lio's breath caught for a moment as it sank in and summoned an image of that shining face, instead in tears. _Why had Galo been crying_? That was just _wrong_. The dragon now stood beside him on the path and began gathering a fireball of energy from a whole bundle of upset feelings bleeding out of Lio at the thought, their eyes narrowed looking for a target, but…

He hadn't earned the right to ask about Galo's tears when he was denying his own. His heart clenched, the dragon fizzled, and he had to look away to keep from reaching out.

But there was also no wall left to push against. There was just… Galo. Who had been crying, and suspected that Lio had been, too.

"I… was upset." Lio conceded at last. When Galo didn't reply, Lio looked back over and saw him patiently waiting.

For some reason that made _him_ feel impatient, and he huffed a sigh, continuing in annoyance. It seemed to help stabilize his voice and breathing. Took the edge off his fatigue.

"I may have… oversimplified my explanation before. I didn't exactly get away so much as get sent where Freeze Force couldn't follow. And they figured I was as good as dead, I'm sure."

"Wait…"

"That ice bullet really did work. And I got shot into a volcano, so just ended up locked in a giant block of ice being fueled by the lava's heat. I couldn't even _try_ to access my own at first."

Galo was staring at him, his face had become pale and tense. "And you… survived that? For how lo-"

"I left my people in the hands of a monster for a week." Lio didn't need a wall. Returning fury made him rigid and unmovable.

Galo broke eye contact and flinched back an inch. Lio could easily read the understanding and grief in Galo's face as he now saw the full picture of what Lio had experienced. He looked back at Lio, devastated.

Somehow, impossibly, that sent a tremor through Lio's inner iron-flame and he was the one phasing through this time. Approaching the one who was now sharing his sadness. And more words came tumbling out.

"I wasn't dead, but I wasn't alive. I was just…" He couldn't easily describe the sync space, with its internal projections. Even though right now he seemed to be stuck again, at least partially, in whatever memory of it remained with him after the Promare left. On a trail that led nowhere anymore.

"Dreaming. It was cold and furious." The ice currently pressed against his skin bit deeper.

"It felt _endless_, I needed to get to them but I was trapped, and time wouldn't _move_." Panic began to clutch at his throat and his limbs tensed as he remembered he couldn't move now, either.

"And then there was screaming and I felt all the captured Burnish suffering." The path he was on exploded and the dragon shrieked and everything was wildfire.

"Because I didn't- couldn't-" Somehow there was no air left in his lungs to continue, and he was burning and frozen at the same time. His vision blurred, memory and reality blending, indistinguishable, and he was terrified. He needed to save them he needed to find them and save them he felt some of them die and he wasn't there to give them fire and bring them back and they were dying they were dying let them GO STOP KILLING THEM-

He was locked in a firestorm, raging and spinning around him, and there was no way out.

Then a pinprick appeared in the center of the swirling chaos that was his vision. It slowly expanded to the pace of a rapid heartbeat, clearing away everything except one image.

It was that sun. No-his mind moved from the internal place to the stark reality of the hospital room. It was Galo.

He didn't know what Galo was saying at first, but he looked more afraid than Lio had ever seen him. His hands were wrapped around Lio's face and he was frantically saying _something_.

"-eathe! _Breathe_ Lio!"

It took him a minute to realize that he wasn't and another to remember how, and then he was gasping in as much as he could, but it didn't seem to fill up his lungs all the way. His vision went dark for a moment and all he could feel was the air scraping through his throat. Slowly colors bled back in, but all of his energy seemed to leak out. The path was rippling and the room was swaying side to side, jerking strangely in time with his irregular heartbeats. They kind of hurt, he realized, but it was a detached thought.

He couldn't seem to hold on to a thought, though. He was aware that there were other people there for a minute, but he wasn't sure if it was true. He watched them do something with his IV, but he wasn't sure if he even had his eyes open?

The first thing that seemed real, after the swaying and the jerking finally settled down, was the sound of unsteady breathing. Could he turn his head to look? It took a few tries, but he finally managed.

And then everything snapped into clear focus with a sting.

Galo was crying.

He gripped the edge of Lio's bed, head bowed, but Lio could see the drops falling, see his shoulders shaking, hear the hushed, irregular gasps.

Lio tried to sit up but of course it didn't work.

The ice made the slightest sound, though, and Galo's head jerked up, and this was Lio's least favorite Galo-look, he decided. Galo shouldn't have to cry.

"Don't." Was all Lio could whisper in horror.

What did this?

What had they been talking about?

Galo swiped an arm across his eyes to clear his vision. He gripped the edge of the tub, but didn't move to touch Lio.

"It's okay, it's okay, you're safe. Everyone's safe." Galo rushed to reassure. "You're safe."

Of course he was, Galo was here.

But Lio wasn't the one crying, so shouldn't the comforting be the other way around?

"Are _you_ okay?" It only came out as a whisper.

Galo just looked more pained and dropped his face for a moment, his hands clenching tighter.

Lio tried to piece together what happened last. He thought he was interrupted. Yes, he hadn't finished explaining. He hadn't told the most important stuff. Galo didn't know the worst stuff Lio had done, and that would help him realize how important it was that Galo had stopped Lio. How much he had _saved_.

He'd get angry at Lio, but Galo liked saving and rescuing, so understanding would make him feel better.

"Making the dragon was extra bad because-" Lio began, still only in a whisper no matter how much air he tried to push past his vocal chords. But then Galo's fingers were pressed against his lips, face set in panic and horror.

"_Don't_."

Lio blinked, puzzled.

"You don't need to say _anything_. T-try not to think about it, so you can rest."

Galo obviously didn't understand. As soon as the fingers pulled back, Lio tried to clarify. "You don't know why it's so bad yet, I haven't told you yet-"

"Please, _please_, just rest, we'll talk later-"

"Can't rest until you know, so you can be angry _now_, I don't want it later."

"I won't get angry, I promise!"

"I don't believe you."

"I _promise_."

"_I'm_ angry."

Oh no, something was prickling at the edges. He tried to swallow it back. The path started trembling. It helped when Galo finally reached out a hand and stroked his hair, eyes full of kindness and grief. When he spoke, his voice had lost the panicked edge.

"That's okay. You can be angry." Lio felt his throat unclench. "Just don't let it eat you." The stinging in his eyes eased as that soothing hand continued to brush steadily through his hair. "Here, I'll hold onto it for you so you can sleep. Then we'll deal with it when you wake up."

Galo held up his hands, cupping them. Lio stared at him, at them. Then gave a small nod.

"Alright, just for a minute."

He closed his eyes, concentrating. He scraped together the fury and fear and grief and pain and they fused together into a dragon of ever shifting fire. He imagined the dragon pouring out of his own heart and winding its way to Galo's hands, curling up inside, somehow managing to fit. Those hands were large and strong and capable and could probably save anyone. Even a dragon.

As the bad things drained away, his consciousness quickly followed. He let it go with a sigh.

Lio opened his eyes and felt a surprising sense of clarity. He glanced at the clock and realized it was still morning. Yet he felt completely different. Calm.

But his body was worse. Every breath hurt. He hurt in places he didn't know existed.

He looked over to his companion. Galo was slumped in a chair, dozing fitfully, listing dangerously to the side. The very picture of exhaustion.

Lio could still see the slight puffiness around his eyes, evidence of earlier tears and he hated thinking of Galo hurt enough to cry. But his anger had no more fuel left, so it couldn't burn. Instead it _clawed_, sinking sharp points through layers of his chest and holding him pinned.

Galo didn't deserve this grief. Galo was the one who stopped him from causing the harm. He deserved to know. To _understand_. It would make him feel better, Lio was certain. So when he woke up, he'd finish the illustration that Galo had no way of seeing completely on his own.

In the meantime, Lio just had to live through this, one agonizing breath at a time. Wearily, he summoned the mental image of the path again, now flickering like an ember's glow. Began to plod down it. It made things easier to imagine he was moving. Pretend he had some kind of agency. Only a couple minutes passed before he had to pause even there, the exhaustion growing too acute. How long could this possibly go on? There was no fuel left for this fire.

And it was lonely.

Not even the dragon was here anymore. Just the endless monotony of pain. He tried to imagine the voices that used to fill this place, so strange, but so dear they weren't strange at all. Nothing. Fear gripped him as he wondered if he'd forget what they sounded like as time went on. In dread-filled desperation, he listened instead for the echoing screams that had flooded the space, chasing him. Even they remained silent.

There was no one.

The claws crept up his face, digging into his eyes, and set them prickling dangerously again.

He heard movement next to him and forgot to do things in the right order. He looked over first and met Galo's eyes before remembering to smooth out his own face. And then it took longer than it usually did. Because here was _someone_.

Galo let out a shaky breath as he drew closer and put a hand to Lio's forehead.

"Don't do that. You don't need to hide what hurts. Although," Galo withdrew and dropped his face into his hands, the next words sounding more pained. " I understand why you would." The self-recrimination was evident.

That wasn't right, things were still tangled, Lio decided. He needed to explain.

"I need to tell you the rest."

"_No_." Galo's face came up and his eyes traveled over Lio's face, tormented.

Lio paused at the resistance.

"I look… bad?"

Galo swallowed. "You're… very pale." He seemed to lose the ability to remain upright as he leaned an arm against the edge of the tub and rested his forehead on it, a terrible tension locking his back and shoulders. "I'm sure it didn't help to be _forced to relive torture_." Galo's voice was raw with self-directed fury.

This didn't make sense. Galo should be angry at _Lio_, not himself.

"I want to tell you the rest."

"Don't." A single choked word. He didn't even look up.

"You're the one who saved us. You should know why that was so important. I did a bad thing. I'm not the victim here."

This seemed obvious to Lio, but apparently he needed to state it.

Galo's face rose in absolute incredulity. Then he rubbed a hand across his eyes and began in a strained voice, "I know _all_ the Burnish were victims, but you're one of them, and you definitely-"

"I mean the Promare."

He still wasn't used to that word. He wondered how _they_ would feel about the name. Lio hadn't had the chance to ask…

Lio took advantage of the fleeting look of confusion on Galo's face to rush ahead of any further objections.

"When the Burnish were all hurting, the Promare felt it, too, and that pain made a bridge that they finally crossed into me. Pulled all the ice out and replaced it with fire. And fury. We were aligned in our rage. We wanted to destroy the one who was hurting us all."

Galo got a strange look in his eyes. Dark and dangerous. But it didn't seem pointed at Lio for some reason.

Then to Lio's complete surprise, Galo plunged his hand through the pooling ice and wrapped it around Lio's. His palm was a small area of his body, now freed from the pressing cold, but it was such a _relief_, he couldn't continue speaking for a moment.

But Lio's hand was burning and the ice was cold, it would be painful for Galo before long. So he made a feeble attempt to pull it away. Galo's fingers only squeezed tighter.

"I will listen," Galo promised, his eyes taking on new fire, "If you promise to _stop_ when I ask. If it's getting dangerous. Your health is more important than anything else right now."

Okay, then.

Get through this quickly.

Galo would definitely let go of his hand once he knew all.

"The Promare... All that life, all that pain, and they came to _me_ for direction. To, to tell them what to do and fix it and stop the hurting. They _trusted_ me."

Galo's face still hadn't changed from it's look of compassionate grief, listening. His thumb began to rub the back of Lio's hand. Lio tried to ignore the sense of comfort he knew would soon be removed.

Get this over with.

He took a breath, willed his heart and lungs to remain stable, his voice even, so they wouldn't get interrupted anymore.

"They found me. They let me go. And instead of soothing their pain and tempering the anger we shared, I released it, in pure destruction without really caring about the consequences. I selfishly ignored my responsibility to them. To the Burnish, and Meis and Gueira. To all of humanity. I just let go."

For some reason Galo hadn't let go. His hand continued to soothe, making it both harder and easier for the shame-filled words to come out.

Hurry and finish.

"It doesn't really matter where they came from, I've always known they were alive, at least, and bound to us because they needed our help. They're _innocent_, you know. The Promare need to burn, desperately, to _live_. They aren't killers, they don't have malice. They rely on us humans, sync with us, in order to understand how to act here, the implications. To interact with and translate for our world, despite the… language gap."

Lio closed his eyes and gave a shuddering, bitter chuckle. "Unleashing them in a rampage is the opposite of good diplomacy. They came to me in trust, at their most vulnerable, and all I gave them was rage." He then locked eyes with Galo and spoke with conviction. "They are _living_ fire. There_ is_ something deeply wrong-not just with killing, but with using _their lives_ to kill, if there is any other choice. _Burnish pride_ is taking responsibility for all that power and _protecting_ the life on both sides."

Galo, inner fire mirroring Lio's own, nodded with immediate understanding. Lio realized this firefighter with all his rescue-oriented sensibilities understood this concept instinctively. Protecting was the principle he lived his life by as well. Only, _he_ didn't let his weaknesses overcome him.

"You, who knew none of this, were the one who saved them. Made me remember, found a way to _help_, rather than destroy. You... wouldn't have had to do that if I hadn't completely failed everyone."

There. Now he knew. Galo had had to clean up Lio's mess, even though Lio had _known better_. Lio had certainly earned his resentment.

"I can't believe you..." Galo started, haltingly.

Lio held his breath and tensed, waiting for his hand to be released back to the cold emptiness, for the disgust he felt to be reflected back at him in blue eyes. At least Galo would get the satisfaction from knowing he was even more of a savior than he had thought. He had rescued the Promare, too.

Lio by instinct brought up more clearly the path he had never really left and prepared his hands to make a wall for whatever Galo chose to throw at him. Only, there was a contradiction, because Galo was still _holding_ one of his hands in the hospital room. It created a confusing disconnect, trying to make a wall when there was a hand held through it. And then Lio realized a wall would defeat his purpose, of owning the consequences and facing up to whatever Galo wanted to unleash at him. So he dropped the attempt and stood there defenseless.

"I can't believe… you were able to hold back from destroying the city, with all that. The fury and pain and everything, of all the Burnish _and_ the Promare, all channeled through you? Your own grief and worry all built up and trapped like that nonstop for a _week_."

Galo seemed unable to speak for several beats, a hand covering his eyes. But they were clear when they looked back at Lio. Took on a glint of grim directness.

"I've experienced first hand a lot of Burnish fire. I know it's hard for the Burnish to create flames that don't harm. You had enough fire to burn down the city, but you _did_ hold back. You didn't kill the people in your way. You focused everything after just the one target who was continuing to harm the Burnish. Focused on freeing them. It may have been a blunt way to do it, but you were trying to _save_, not just kill. Even the Freeze Force agents! You let them go despite everything they did to you and the Burnish. I _felt_ those flames, Lio. Your spite was never hotter than your compassion. They just got tangled together."

What was… How was _that_ what Galo was taking away from this? He wasn't looking at the big picture. This was far too kind of an assessment of the situation. No, he wasn't going to allow Galo to let him off that easily.

"I _was_ trying to kill Kray with the fire, in the end. And… and anyone could have gotten caught in that blast. And with the Promare… it would have... broken... something more."

Galo lifted their joined hands out of the ice. Didn't say anything to contradict Lio, but wrapped his other hand around the back of Lio's, completely encasing it between his palms.

"I'm glad... I was able to help you then. And as terrible as it was... I'm glad it brought us back together. "

_This_... is what Galo returned for all the ugly Lio was showing him? He held on tighter?

Lio didn't know how much more he could take, being thrown for a loop and redirected. He was getting confused. Despite how firmly he had planted his feet on the path, he felt like the trail itself was being redrawn.

"Y'know…" Galo seemed to consider and then make a decision. "I _wouldn't_ have known that you needed saving like that if you hadn't told me all that Burnish pride stuff before. What you thought. What was important to you. So when I saw you hurting, I could understand. I knew how to save you because you had told me. About you. Enough so I could figure it out, what you needed. How I could help."

Yes. That conversation in the cave had sprung from such a strange, irrational hope. To believe that someone like Galo might understand… But for some reason, he _had_ hoped. And though he hadn't known it at first…

"You... listened."

"And I always will."

The promise in that took Lio's breath away.

He was standing on the path, now unpredictable. There were no walls.

Just two hands holding his.

It...

felt...

... strong.

The trail inside, so familiar he could walk it without thinking, changed. Without him telling it to, it split into two.

One was familiar. It was stark but solid. Solitary, but he could see exactly where he could anchor his walls, create protection and hide what needed hiding. Temporarily pull in and shelter those he needed to defend. A battlefield trench.

The other… he could only describe as vague. Full of mists and strange forms. Like a bog, he had no idea which spots were firm enough to walk on or to support a barrier. The hands still around his were tugging him towards it, though, asking for trust in the unknown and the indefensible.

He jerked back in panic. This wasn't right. Where had he gone off track? He needed to go back to an earlier point so he could find the right trail again.

"You... shouldn't have had to-None of it should have even happened in the first place," Lio emphasized. "I should always have been with Meis and Gueira and the Burnish."

His feet had indeed found an earlier spot on the trail, but… it didn't seem as firm anymore. He raised the hand that was still free and hastily felt around for the place that needed a wall.

Only now he paused even in that because… before… when he'd gone off track… the walls had caused problems, hadn't they? When he had fallen to his anger… _Galo_ was the one who had protected against that weakness. Had set Lio on the right path again. It was only because Galo had stubbornly broken _through_ the barriers he'd constructed that things had turned out alright.

Fighting Galo, building walls, had been an act of destruction, too. He had been fighting against himself.

He felt a tug on his hand again and looked over his shoulder at that second mystery path. It was… a confusing complexity. The cognitive dissonance was more than his pain-filled, exhausted mind could resolve at the moment. The uncertainty was agitating.

"I should _always_ have been with Meis and Gueira and the Burnish." He repeated, but it was now like he was trying to convince himself of something he thought he had _known_.

Now Galo did contradict him.

"That wouldn't have been very helpful. They trusted you, and made the right decision to help you, get you out of there."

And on the path, the hands that still hadn't let go_ pulled._

"I should have protected _them_." Lio insisted stubbornly. This he _did_ know.

Galo's expression shifted between too many things for Lio to follow, but ended on affectionate exasperation with a decidedly determined edge.

"_Lio_. It's a _good thing_ they did it the other way around. If _you_ had been captured then, I bet nothing would have stopped Kray and the Parnassus would have succeeded and all of us would have died including _all_ of the Burnish. It's because they saved _you_ that you were able to save them back and we're all here right now."

Lio stared wide-eyed at the incredibly simple summary. But… it wasn't wrong.

_Pull._

He felt paralyzed, not knowing how to continue. He shifted anxiously under the ice. Futile. He was trapped and couldn't lift himself if he tried, as weak as he was. But that was becoming something of a trend, he realized bitterly as he looked back along the old track. Encased in ice. Encased in fire. Encased in an engine of pain. Now he was frozen on a pathway he no longer understood.

Except, now that he looked, from this vantage point… an undeniable detail added itself to those pictures of his own imprisonment. Summoned, they flew forward to surround him. Each time, when he was trapped, at his weakest, his most helpless… someone had been there.

He looked closer.

When Absolute Zero ice left him defenseless before his enemy, Meis and Gueira had made sure he was free, trusted him completely to do the same for all the Burnish.

_The hands pulled. He stepped forward._

When he had been trapped in an eternity of frozen anguish, the Promare had found him, sought him out as their trusted first source to save them and those they were bound to, given him what he needed to break free.

_Pull. Step._

When a fire of his own making consumed him, helpless in his rage, Galo had pulled him free. Not just from the physical fire, he had broken through the fury and reminded Lio of who he was. And then Galo had shouldered the burden _with_ Lio to actually save his people. Despite all the dangers and problems, standing _with_ Galo, he had never felt weak. Or afraid. Or alone.

_Pull. Step, step, step._

When his own impulsive actions to attack Kray had gotten him captured and again practically doomed them all, and he was completely powerless before the worst monster he had ever known, locked in pain… Galo had pulled him free again. Even back from death.

_Pull. Step._

These friends had saved _him_ repeatedly so together they could save the Burnish… and then their people had been able to band together to save themselves and everyone. In the end, he had asked for their help, for the Promare's help, for Galo's help, and finally together they were able to save their precious world.

_Pull. Step. Halt._

Why had he thought the path was… empty?

_The strength to protect his people_. That was it. His people, his friends, _were_ his strength. He hadn't been alone. It was because they had been able to trust each other that they were able to protect each other.

He had been able to call on their strength when it meant saving everyone _else_. In resisting their support now, for himself, was he actually... doubting them? Was that shield he tried to be on their behalf… a wall that made him weaker?

Even now, trapped in his own body in a hospital, rather than turning away they leant him their strength in a thousand ways.

What should he be doing in return? Certainly not doubting.

He should be used to this by now. Galo showing him new things. But it was still short-circuiting his mind.

He realized that, step by step, he had ended up on that strange, foggy new trail. But it wasn't dark at all. Bewildered, he saw it had its own light. Like fire. It was a beautiful, bright white and teal, and it raced forward, burning away the fog and revealing that the strange forms were people. People his heart _knew_.

In the hospital room, a relieved, triumphant look was spreading across Galo's face as he watched Lio, seeing barriers fall as he stopped resisting and processed_. _And it vividly called another memory to Lio's mind.

The _amazing_ smile of victory Galo had worn at the end of their first encounter. It had thrown Lio off more than he could admit at the time. But he had known without a doubt that he wanted this man to remember his name.

Lio had _defeated_ the firefighter, stripped him of all his weapons and armor, had him at sword-point, helpless and "naked" on the edge of the building. A fate that would have enraged Lio. But Galo had grinned up at him. Because he knew he had won. Because he had a team that he trusted even in his own weakness to protect _him_. And that was his strength.

A strange sense of relief filled Lio as _understanding_ began to release him from the need to fight. But with that relief, weariness returned like a heavy blanket. He tried to fight it for a moment, because he wanted to finish figuring this out.

Galo's hand broke Lio from his reverie as one of them released its hold on his hand and instead gently pushed back his bangs, smoothing the tension from his brow. Lio looked up and saw an expression of such kindness and understanding, he almost crumpled.

"It's okay to take a little time. I'm not going anywhere."

Everything swam in front of him as Lio gave a little nod and closed his eyes, exhaustion winning the moment again. But this time in his dream, he landed right on the path of fire and walked forward, a warm hand in his own.

He knew a considerable chunk of time had passed when he next opened his eyes, because the natural light was almost gone. Also, he was being lifted from the ice bath and he couldn't help an audible sigh of relief.

"115 and dropping," Galo told him, and he looked as relieved as Lio felt in being free of that icy prison. Galo turned his back as the hospital staff changed Lio into a dry set of slacks and reapplied the standard cooling patches under a wrap-around shirt.

But Lio was deathly tired. He couldn't even help them get his arms through the sleeves. It was like every drop of energy was gone.

They got him settled and left. He tried to piece together the conversations from that morning. At first they were jumbled until he realized he remembered vividly each of Galo's faces, and followed those expressions like a map through his recollection.

As he got to the end, he came to a tentative conclusion. He had a new path. And he wasn't alone on it. There were people to help him-who wanted to help him _personally_-if he would actually let them. And that was… strong.

He didn't know what that looked like, though. Letting them help. What did he even need?

Galo had settled once more in the chair next to him. As if by default, he took Lio's hand again, then seemed to freeze when he realized what he had done. He stared at Lio, waiting for a reaction. But Galo didn't drop his hand. Lio gave his fingers a gentle squeeze, the best he could manage at the moment. Tension melted from Galo's frame and he gave Lio a wobbly smile and squeezed back. Lio focused on the feeling of contact against his palm and almost fell right back asleep, it was so comforting.

But he didn't want to sleep, that was beginning to feel like its own prison. It was hard to resist in his current position, though. He was on his back with no strength to push himself up. He tamped down on the frustration he felt at being so helpless.

Okay… so… he did know something he needed right away. Maybe… he could get Galo's help. See how it went. And figure out how to go from there.

"I want to sit up," Lio stated. Then cleared his throat a little to get rid of the raspiness and hesitation.

Galo smiled and nodded. "I think that should be fine. Doc didn't say anything about staying down."

Lio closed his eyes. How could this man be so brilliant and so stupid at the same time?

Lio scowled up at Galo, who got an even stupider affectionate look on his face. Steeling his fragile new resolve, Lio clarified in a small voice: "Will you help me?"

He was almost blinded by Galo's over-the-top joy at being _asked_ to help, but it quickly dimmed as Galo seemed to process how weak Lio must be to not manage it himself. Lio tried not to let that look of sorrow get to him.

"Always," Galo said quietly. Then immediately rose and sat on the bed. Lio's heartrate picked up slightly as Galo slid an arm around his shoulders, lifted, and leaned Lio's exhausted body propped against his strong, solid chest and shoulder.

Oh. This wasn't so bad. Was this what he had been missing out on?

Galo arms reached all the way around him to set up the pillows, creating an embrace. For practical reasons, he was sure. It seemed to take longer than Lio would have expected. That was fine, he didn't think it could be more comfortable than his current resting place. He could feel his cheek heat up where it rested against Galo, secretly savoring, and he decided not to think about it too much. He was _trying_ to figure out how to accept physical support, after all. This was… this was just good practice.

But it seemed even the most conscientious pillow-fluffing could only last so long, and Lio felt Galo sigh as he finally leaned Lio away until he was fully situated against the cushions. Galo carefully moved his arms back, maintaining contact for as long as possible. Making sure Lio was capable of remaining upright, clearly. Galo didn't quite make eye contact as he finally let go, looking redder than usual, probably from exposure to Lio's remaining fever. Lio missed his warmth, but he was relieved to be sitting up again.

And not a moment too soon by Lio's estimation, as Meis and Gueira walked into the room. He didn't realize he'd been holding onto a thread of anxiety in their absence until seeing them brought a new wave of relief.

Galo straightened and scrubbed his hand against his flushed cheeks, hopping up off the bed.

"You guys need rest," were the first words out of Lio's mouth to the two.

"Aww, he cares," Meis cooed sarcastically.

"However bad we look, I guarantee you look worse," Gueira raised an eyebrow, arms crossed.

"How is that even relevant?" Lio asked, frowning.

They just rolled their eyes at him.

Lio scrunched his nose. This was hard. But he… _shouldn't_ dismiss their concern.

"I'm better than before," and he flicked his eyes to the monitor holding steady at 114.

They did look a little cheered up, at that. They revealed they had brought ice cream bars, which seemed to excite Galo. Lio couldn't help feeling the same at the thought of such an unexpected treat. What would they _taste_ like?!

Until the reality of his situation sobered him.

He was just about to turn them down with an excuse since he didn't think he could lift his arms to eat, but he paused, mouth twisting.

_Try. Don't doubt them. They _want_ to help. They brought these for _you.

He took a deep breath.

"I... I want one." He set his jaw stubbornly.

Meis got a look of surprised delight for an instant that settled to an honest smile.

"Well that's why we got them. Aina says these ones are the best."

"That girl has good taste," Gueira grinned, then darting his eyes over to Galo, corrected, "In most things."

Lio cleared his throat.

"I will need help. My arms, um..." He trailed off uncertainly, not knowing how to ask.

Meis and Gueira just stared at him. He could feel the vulnerable regret enter his expression. They didn't want to hear him ask for help, they were probably horrified that the boss they followed had gotten so _pathetic_, this was a mistake-

And suddenly the bag was on the floor and two sets of arms were around Lio, faces pressed cheek to cheek.

"Boss learned how to use his words!"

"No more endless guessing!"

Meis and Gueira lifted their heads to talk over Lio.

"We'll still need to be sneaky about certain things-"

"-because of course-"

"-and he's always more stubborn in front of others-"

"-right, we'll need to do private check-ins-"

"-he'll probably still forget important things, like eating-"

"-sleeping-"

"-medical care, obviously-"

They both rolled their eyes.

"-but if he actually says something-"

"-with actual _words_-"

"Hey!" Lio cut in.

They paused in their glee and looked down.

"Where's my ice cream?"

He tried to glare but his face was being less responsive than normal. He had a feeling it came across as more of a pout.

All hell broke loose after that, as a three-way battle ensued, only to be resolved two destroyed ice creams later (fortunately not anywhere near Lio) as they decided to take turns feeding him. Even though he was tired, the antics lifted his spirits, and he could feel his mind fully clearing at last. It was wonderful to feel fully present again.

And just in time for _ice cream_.

He drifted up into a little happy cloud when he tasted his first bite and decided it was good he was still alive. The cold actually felt good as the dense, silky ice cream melted and eased some of the ache from his throat. The flavor was sweet with a slight edge of saltiness that made the vanilla even deeper. And it was covered in _chocolate_. Dark and crisp and bitter and potent, a perfect complement to the smooth cream. Who had made something this wonderful?!

Upon opening his eyes he faced three cell phones and looks of intense concentration.

"Definitely this hour's update."

"Already sent it."

"Take that, stupid Remi with your dishes..."

He really, really needed to get new friends.

"You guys have some, too, though," he demanded quietly, eyeing the bag to gauge if it still had enough for all of them. He really wanted Meis and Gueira to experience this, too. They could take turns having bites of his.

That earned him a hair ruffle and the revelation that there were in fact 10 more ice creams. The Burnish knew to stock up on something good when they had the chance.

After they had devoured all of them (Lio only had room for two, the others had three a piece), Meis and Gueira somewhat reluctantly got down to business when Lio began asking questions.

"The old man with the implanted tracker-" Lio began.

"The traitor." Meis stated without making eye contact, voice cold.

"You shouldn't waste your energy on _him_." Gueira ground out.

Lio paused. He knew they had a different take on that situation than he did. Still.

"You moved him to a safe place?" Lio asked with an edge of steel in his voice. He had made this request yesterday after it occurred to him that the man might not be safe around the other Burnish who had suffered by his actions.

"Yes. He's safe whether he deserves it or not." Meis concluded. "In _important_ news…"

Mostly good reports regarding the Burnish already in the temporary housing, but the news from outside Promepolis was somewhat more disturbing.

On the not so bad end of the spectrum, there were Burnish from the region who had made it to the border of the city, but were being detained in tents outside of it while the city tried to process them in. This mostly involved a lot of bureaucratic squabbling that was an annoyance to the Mad Burnish more than anything, and they mostly had to focus on keeping security and humane conditions in play. Some families separated due to Freeze Force raids had already been reunited.

The news from further abroad involved a range of scenarios. Some Burnish were fine staying where they were, some were looking for support in getting to Promepolis to seek lost loved ones or a larger protective community. The name Lio Fotia held a lot of trust, and many local Burnish leaders were looking to him to set direction.

There were some decidedly disturbing cases, though. Of Burnish groups being hunted down to "pay for their crimes" now that they were defenseless, or dictatorial governments insisting they come in and be registered and held for "observation". Naturally, they were wary and practiced enough to go deeper into hiding, but they now refused to travel to safety unless Lio himself came for them.

Lio began to see some of the bigger problems of having everything run through him. He also realized he'd created this specific problem by offering the solution of shelter and then being too out of commission to see it through. He'd just have to find a way to face up to it and take care of it now, no matter how he felt… he would not dump this burden on anyone else, he needed to fix this problem himself. Whatever it took.

They were probably scared. In danger. Didn't have enough supplies...

He was so tired.

Meis and Gueira were frowning now as they watched Lio's face, and Galo looked on the verge of saying something, when two new occupants entered the room.

Lio's doctor wasn't unexpected, but Heris Ardebit was a surprise.

As conflicted as he felt about her role in the Parnassus disaster, a pang went through him at the change in her appearance. Pale face, dark circles under her strained eyes, hair that hadn't been washed in days. He wondered if she had slept at all. He also noticed that she was wearing a tracking anklet.

Her lips thinned as they landed on him and took in his weak state.

"I've asked Ms. Ardebit here so we can discuss Lio's medical case with the insight that's been gathered from some of the foundation's research." The doctor began. No one needed to ask which foundation. The tension in the room skyrocketed. "Lio, is that acceptable to you, and with present company privy to the information?"

"Yes."

"Right." She took a breath. "This is quite the unprecedented case, so we've had to try to piece things together from a variety of evidence sources to draw any kind of diagnostic conclusion-"

"English, doc!" Gueira interjected, impatient with the buffering, and Galo nodded in agreement.

The doctor straightened further. "We're worried that the energy required for this process may be more than is physically possible to handle."

Three were left to puzzle through this to the logical conclusion, but Lio figured it meant she was concerned he wouldn't survive at all.

"So… what does that mean exactly for Lio?" Galo asked. He looked like he was trying to stay calm.

The doctor turned to Heris for additional context.

"There was far more Burnish research going on than I was aware of until this situation. Which is terrible," Heris rushed to affirm, "But it also means there is some insight we can apply to this case. Unfortunately, I can't go straight to the researchers directly involved with the Burnish projects because they have disappeared-"

"What?!" The three Burnish in the room were instantly livid.

"Ch-chief Sideros is investigating, and it _is_ strange and troubling… people don't just vanish…" She stopped talking, brow creased in deep thought.

"And Lio?" Galo prodded, hands on hips and leaning forward impatiently.

Heris nodded and rushed forward. "What I do know is that healing takes energy, and for the Burnish in the engine, they were drained of a source at the same time their bodies were having to fully take over processes that were formerly symbiotic with the Promare."

Galo looked a little lost at the explanation, but Meis and Gueira nodded knowingly and Lio's gaze sharpened on them. He knew it hadn't been easy for them, either. Plus having to manage everything and take care of him...

"Fortunately, with whatever the Promare did when they left combined with the Burnish's naturally adapted fortitude, they have been able to recover well, for the most part. There were some, as you know, who had suffered greater injuries, and these are the ones I've been trying to understand and assist with. To help them but also to document." Her face radiated grim determination.

"Using some of the tech developed in the Burnish research, I've been able to assess the physical energy load required during their healing. There were two who exceeded their supply. One has slipped into a coma. The other... didn't make it."

The room's occupants paled at her blunt announcement.

"It's impossible to know all the factors that were in play in the two different outcomes, but I'd say strength of will was definitely part of it."

The doctor cut in, "Lio, you seem more drained than any of my patients so far, and your injuries over all have been and likely will continue to be, highly taxing. The human body only has so much fuel, and when it's gone…"

"So what are you going to do about it?" Meis' face was hard.

"The past couple of days, I've been working on an intravenous formula that more quickly resupplies the body's cells with fuel than natural processes achieve." Heris stated. "It's… something that was already in development for other reasons. Currently, it's not very refined, but it may help. It's not been thoroughly tested, of course, so we don't know all the implications, but the former experimental data is promising. The formula has to be highly tailored to the individual, though."

So, it was highly risky whether he did it or not.

Still, doing something was better than doing nothing, Lio figured. He was tired of being tired, and dying wasn't an option given the situation he still had to fix with the Burnish.

"What do you need to get started?" Lio asked, earning himself sharp looks from his lieutenants and Galo.

"I'll need to do a scan to get your unique energy readings, and a couple of blood samples."

"Go ahead." He directed decisively.

Heris had brought some kind of hand scanner that looked like a baton, and she began passing it over Lio. The others present peppered her with questions about the risks of the treatment. Lio mostly tuned them out, as he was still thinking through a plan for the stranded Burnish.

Heris kept a carefully neutral face as she looked at the initial scan readings, and drew a blood sample. No one looked happy as she gave a final nod and packed up her supplies.

As she took a step away from the bed, Lio's voice stopped her. "Is there anything you can do right now in the interim? Anything you can give me? It's okay if it's not perfect, just something to hold me through the next few days so I can travel and…" Lio tapered off because he wasn't sure he was going to last the next hour based on the murderous glares Meis, Gueira, and even Galo were giving him. He didn't think he'd ever seen them so furious. Certainly not at him.

"What the hell, Boss! We're not letting you kill yourself," Gueira stated, seething. In the background, Galo was firmly ushering Heris and the doctor out. They both looked relieved to avoid the confrontation.

"I'm not going to die from something like this," Lio insisted, all stubborn will and dismissal.

"We can figure out a better way to help those in hiding without you having to-" Meis began, but Lio impatiently cut him off.

"No, they said they need me, so-"

"They do!" Gueira was yelling now, "And so do we!"

"Which is why we're making sure you actually stick around and get what you need!" Meis glared. The two stood shoulder to shoulder by Lio, a glaring and unmovable wall. Galo had folded his arms with a stern look, clearly standing by their side.

"It's… it's not about me…" But Lio could feel himself hesitate. Something about that rang hollow now.

"Sometimes it is." Lio didn't know exactly what that was in Galo's expression, but it hurt. Like _Galo_ was hurt, and disappointed.

The larger man then sat right on the edge of the bed and swung a knee up so he was face-to-face with Lio. Reached forward with no hesitation and wrapped his large palms around Lio's cheeks, cradling his face and requiring eye contact. Meis and Gueira's brows had gone up and Lio's eyes were wide, barriers temporarily down in surprise. When Galo spoke, Lio could feel a great weight in the simple words.

"We need you. And you need us. No, what I mean is, you _can_ need us. _Should_ need us. Completely. Especially if it means... We get to keep needing you."

Yes, hurt. There was hurt in Galo's eyes. And in Gueira's and Meis'. Had he put that there?

"If you don't let us help _you_, we can't help _each other_. We can't face things together." Galo spoke with quiet intensity, leaning forward so their faces were that much closer. "Through spark and flame, I've got your back," he repeated his promise from a few days before.

And in Galo's eyes Lio saw the trail, a bright path, a hand holding his… he _didn't_ want to wander it alone. He wanted to hold the hands back and not let go anymore. But that meant spreading his dangers and weaknesses to them, that was selfis-

Lio took a small breath as a truth came through, as clear as Galo's blue eyes. He was scared of needing a hand to hold, but… didn't that mean the other person got a hand to hold back? It… wasn't possible for it to only extend one way, was it?

Could he be there for them if he didn't allow them to reciprocate? Their actions said no. They already _were_ there for him, constantly, he could recall all the examples in an instant. But he was fighting them again. Why?

The pain in their eyes declared how his rejection impacted them. This caring was a two-way street. A _requirement_ if he didn't want to isolate himself.

He was making the weaknesses _worse_ by shutting them out.

Maybe… he needed their strength _in order_ to protect them.

Maybe.

On _their_ behalf…

He could be a little selfish.

It didn't make sense, but… it did?

Relief. Grief. Confusion. Clarity. All wrapped up together, expanded in his chest. Something _broke._ At last.

He didn't have to hold everything alone.

He didn't know whether he wanted to smile or cry.

Underlying everything was a feeling of strength that didn't crumble when he began to release his fears and anxieties onto it.

It was strangely, wondrously, easy to believe in _their_ strength even as he was doubting his own.

He closed his eyes and leaned forward just a bit until his forehead rested against Galo's.

"Idiot. Why do you keep saving me?"

* * *

Hm. The dragon scene (KAKUSEI!) is one of my fav scenes in the movie, same as everyone, but it's also pretty tragic. So, that's emphasized here. But I don't love having the dragon be only a negative icon, so I'm planning to use the concept in a specific way in the sequel that will hopefully create more of a positive association. I have too much cute Lio-dragon merch to be satisfied otherwise. :P

I know I throw a lot of dense content at you, and that's just how I write. So thanks for making your way through all of it, I can't believe some of you have mentioned reading it multiple times (sounds exhausting :P). I dunno what it is, but I swear, it was on days where I was doing a big writing push that I would randomly get one of your comments, and that was just really encouraging. Gets me out of my own head sometimes to remember there are people actually reading this. It's a long journey, but lovely to have your company along the way.

Next chapter should be up in the next week. You'll finally get a (partial) explanation of one of my weirder head canons for this fic, that may have you looking at previous Lio/Galo interactions in a new way…?


	6. Almost, Heart

Eternal thanks to Spectrospecs for exceptional feedback. As a beta reader, she really elevates this story.

Last chapter was a turning point. Now how does everyone respond?

* * *

Galo almost did it. Almost went with his first instinct, as he usually would have.

Foreheads touching, their lips were inches apart. He could feel Lio's soft breath ghost against his mouth as he asked a ridiculous question.

"Why do you keep saving me?"

And Galo had no more words, so he just wanted to _show_.

He tilted his head slightly, eyes lowered. Began to angle his face even closer, pulse picking up in anticipation…

But it was the question itself, the fact that it was asked, that stopped him. It showed how far there was to go before that instinctive gesture would be understood. Accepted? Welcomed?

And once that spark of a clear thought singed into his mind, his own conscious confusion flared into focus because _why was he thinking like that again what did it mean did Lio also feel the pull_-

Galo jerked back suddenly, eyes wide. His hands shifted instantly to steady Lio who had begun to fall forward in surprise. A couple of indignant sounds from behind him reminded Galo of another good reason not to go with that _almost_ instinct, because Meis and Gueira were _actually still here._ Hands still wrapped around Lio's upper arms to hold him up, Galo snapped his gaze over his own shoulder and saw the two Burnish were indeed glowering and moving to intervene. He was quite certain they would have ended his short life if he had gone with _almost_.

As it was, Gueira gripped his shoulder a little too hard, pulling him back further from Lio, and Meis gave him a foreboding eye while taking over supporting his boss.

"Thank you, Galo, and now that we've cleared up that it's unacceptable for Boss to go on a suicide mission, we can move on to _constructive planning_." Meis carefully leaned Lio back against the propped up pillows, shifting his glare from Galo to give Lio a look that demanded acceptance of these terms.

Lio, still looking dazed and drained, but thoughtful, nodded after only a moment of hesitation. He opened his mouth, then paused. That thoughtfulness took a turn. He got a look that Galo was not comfortable with at all. Especially since it was aimed at him. He might describe it as crafty. Also really attractive. _I'm doomed_.

Noticing the change in Lio's expression, Meis and Gueira exchanged their own look. As knowing smiles began creeping over their faces, Galo's sense of doom only intensified.

With some obvious effort to move his arms, Lio drew his hands together, interlaced his fingers, and rested them in his lap with a small smile. With how pale and drawn he looked, the strains of pain and fever still imprinted in the curves of his face, this should have seemed a docile posture. Resigned, even. His simmering eyes said the exact opposite. Galo felt his heart speed up a tick at the spark of challenge in that look, summoning a heady adrenalin.

"Following your good advice, Galo, I think I _need_ a few things first."

Meis and Gueira both crossed their arms, now fully grinning at Galo, the spark having leapt into their eyes as well. He swallowed.

"I'm a bit cold." Lio began, smile falling away and chin lifting. "What can you do about it?"

The first thought that came to mind was definitely _not_ the one he should act on. Galo cleared his throat when Meis and Gueira narrowed their eyes at him. He felt a little queasy wondering what they had seen in his expression. Lio was calmly waiting, though, with an expectant shine in those breathtaking eyes that made focusing in another direction very difficult.

Then that shine slid a smile onto Galo's face, too, as he fully processed the situation. Felt the thrill return. For the first time in too long, the gaze didn't hold hurt, exhaustion, fury, or grief. A moment of relief melted through his heart as he saw Lio with a kind of energy he'd barely been allowed to glimpse before.

Lio was in a playful mood. Setting up a game of all things. A game for _him_.

His excitement shot through the roof.

_Yes_! There wasn't a game that Galo couldn't win. And if it meant Lio got to have some actual fun…

Galo grinned wider and Lio's eyes seemed to glow from within as Galo engaged with the challenge. He would play with everything he had to see that light continue.

"_Well_?" Meis quipped with a shooing motion while Gueira pretended to check his watch as if he was timing Galo.

Lio was _cold_, eh?

"Be right back!" He called with enthusiasm as he bolted out the door.

He knew well where the nursing station was by this point, and was on a first name basis with several members of the fine medical staff assigned to this floor. He skidded to a stop, hands coming down on the counter in front of Lucy, one of the nurses most sympathetic to the Burnish patients. A confirmed fan of Lio's once he had told her the full story. She looked up with a smile and a raised brow.

"Nice to see you've got some of your energy back," she said. "I assume he's doing better, then?"

Galo nodded then got to the point. "He's cold! What d'ya got? I don't think he needs heating patches, so…"

"How about an extra blanket?"

"Yes! Good idea! What else? A hat? Scarf? Gloves?"

"Sweetie. This is a hospital, not a department store. We do have a hat, though. And something warm that will work as a scarf." She rose and got all three checked out from the supply room.

She had barely handed them over before he took off, yelling a quick "Thank you!" over his shoulder.

He was going to win this. Show Lio how great it was to get help for what he needed. Make it easy to keep asking.

He dashed back into the room, holding his trophies aloft. From the looks of it, Meis and Gueira had been pressing Lio for details, but Lio remained in serene silence.

"One warmer Burnish Boss, coming up!" Galo declared and confidently stepped forward.

But he froze in his steps as Lio launched him a look so sharp he was sure it would slice him if he got closer. Kept him pinned for a moment in suspense. Even Meis and Gueira didn't look like they knew what to expect. Gueira rubbed his hands together in anticipation, though, before Lio finally spoke.

"Come to think of it, maybe I'm not the one who is cold." Lio shifted his eyes to Gueira, who froze with a shocked expression at being singled out. Lio tilted his head with a look both chiding and affectionate.

Meis just laughed and placed a commiserating hand on Gueira's back, shaking his head like _we should have known_. Gueira finally half-grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head in confirmation. Lio returned his pointed look to Galo.

"Ah!" So… this wasn't _just_ a scavenger hunt. Galo nodded to Lio and handed the bundlings to Gueira, who tossed the hat and scarf on the side table with a scoff, but gratefully pulled the blanket around his shoulders.

"Thanks, Boss." Gueira's grin was touched with shyness at receiving such attentive care from their leader.

"You're calling Galo 'boss' now, eh?" Lio kept his tone gentle as he teased in intentional misunderstanding. Guiera choked, horrified. Meis snickered and continued to pat him on the back.

In sympathy, Galo tried to turn the attention to something else. He rushed on with the game, trying to adapt to the change in play.

"Are _you_ cold?" Galo asked Meis, to cover his bases.

"I'm good for now," Meis confirmed in some amusement. Galo wasn't sure, but he thought he might have earned a point from Meis for subtly shifting the attention from an overwhelmed Gueira rather than teasing him further.

"I'm rather thirsty, though," Lio stated. He smiled innocently at Meis and Galo.

It was Meis' turn to freeze. He gave Lio a slightly unnerved look that said _how did you know?!_

Lio gave him a very sarcastic look in return, brows raised and eyes flat.

Galo looked between Lio and Meis, then grinned back at Lio who simply raised his brows even further.

Meis rolled his eyes. "I can get my own-"

Galo was a fast learner. He was out the door before Meis could finish his sentence.

This time he got Lucy to give him a whole armful of water bottles, plus another two blankets. And some vitamins. And pain killers. And energy bars. When he wracked his brain for anything else he might be able to bring back, she sarcastically slapped a brochure of all the hospital's services and supply locations on top of the pile, rattling off some of the features, and told him to prepare an order beforehand next time.

Okay, he was definitely going to win this round now that he knew how to play. He marched into the room in full confidence and emphatically dropped the whole armful on the side table.

Lips slightly pursed, Lio raised a brow at him, waiting to see what he would do next. A look of both challenge and anticipation.

Galo immediately forgot what he was doing.

There were _other things_ he suddenly wanted to be doing.

Um.

He looked in front of himself again and the sight of his supply pile reminded him of the current goals. The game was definitely not over yet! He couldn't lose focus just because his opponent was so… naturally _distracting_! Holding on to his competitive spirit and not that… other feeling… Galo avoided looking at Lio again for the moment and focused on the other two Burnish. Who were giving him unimpressed looks, slightly edged with warning, as they observed his flustered distraction.

He picked up two water bottles and energy bars and held them out to Meis and Gueira. "You guys are working really hard, it's important to keep up your energy. And _set a good example_." Galo flicked his own sarcastic look at Lio. Which Lio neatly parried with feigned innocence.

For some reason, that reminded him of Lio's sword skills, which had thrilled him so intensely during their first stand-off. Stunning, exhilarating, he'd never felt so alive-

Galo again forgot what he was doing.

He was intensely grateful for Meis and Gueira's grounding presence as they took the items from his hands and broke him out of his mental wandering. "Dude, get a grip," Gueira muttered with a glare.

Galo had _never_ had this kind of trouble focusing on the present, he was _all about_ living fully in the moment, especially during a challenge. What was going _on_?

"Set a good example, huh?" Meis repeated Galo's instructions. The two lieutenants completed a wordless exchange and nodded in mutual understanding. They held the supplies aloft and used exaggerated motions to open the packaging, as if they were on stage.

"How _grateful_ we are to have the things we need," Gueira declared dramatically.

"How _fortunate_ to have friends who are eager to provide them!" Meis declared in mock seriousness.

"Yes, you should have just _asked_," Lio stated primly, face solemn but eyes laughing.

Three faces turned to stare at Lio, stunned by the sheer nerve.

He grinned at them, entirely shameless.

"Oh-ho-ho…" Gueira and Meis expressions turned feral and promised him all sorts of payback for his extraordinary cheek. Lio finally burst out laughing and held up his hands placatingly.

The laughter almost instantly rippled through all of them, until they were all gasping and wiping their eyes. It lasted longer than it probably would have if it hadn't been relieving weeks of tension. Meis and Gueira collapsed into the two bedside seats as the last of the chuckles abated and dutifully began their snack, clinking their water bottles together in a toast. Meis wasted no time in downing the water first, proving Lio's observations right again. Galo rested his leg against the edge of Lio's bed and watched all three, for once not in any rush for the next round of the game as all the players were at ease.

Lio's laughter had seemed to make Gueira and Meis deeply happy, tension Galo hadn't even recognized unwinding from their slender frames. But the sound of Lio's joy didn't seem to make them lightheaded like it did Galo. He felt like he could float away on the echoes, and he almost did. But this time as his eyes landed on Lio, he found his focus sharpening rather than scattering.

Lio seemed perfectly content to enjoy the pause in the game as his friends enjoyed their refreshments. In fact, Galo noticed he was curling and uncurling his toes beneath the covers as he watched Meis and Gueira banter over their break, and it was adorable and struck Galo's heart right through.

But he also noticed other things. And the next stage in the game was crystal clear to Galo, even if it wasn't what Lio had planned.

Galo stood straight and reached over to the bedside table, grabbing supplies. Before Lio seemed to really notice what he was doing, Galo threw one of the blankets across Lio's lap and wrapped the other around his shoulders. He gave Lio his own slightly admonishing look as he settled the folds across his chest.

"You _are_ cold."

Lio gave nothing away for a beat, then, "Just a bit," he conceded with a half nod, and Galo felt like he'd earned a bonus point.

Gueira, snack finished, crossed his arms. "_Really_."

"I was going to get to it," Lio muttered to Gueira.

"And thirsty-" Galo picked up a water bottle.

Lio rolled his eyes. "I was getting to that, too…"

"You do not get to give us a hard time about anything ever again," Meis declared.

Galo, though, had paused as he realized the logistics necessary for Lio to take a drink.

Lio was wrapped up now, and despite the good show he put on with his words and expressions, Galo knew he was still too weak to lift his arms.

The game master seemed to realize why Galo had paused. Offering no help after being called out like that, Lio smirked at his target with nothing but those eyes, waiting to see what the player would do next.

Galo felt like he was approaching certain doom again as he realized he needed to get closer, to touch, to watch, all without acting on the strange burning intensity which that hypnotizing gaze was coiling inside him.

So Galo _tried_ not to overthink anything as he twisted off the cap and perched on the edge of the bed. With a look of extreme concentration, a couple fingers beneath Lio's chin for calibration so he wouldn't spill, he helped Lio drink, watching very carefully for every signal that set pace. He heard Gueira mutter something to Meis in an annoyed tone. His own face felt like it was on fire by the end, though Lio was no longer looking at him. And Galo suddenly _knew_ it was because Lio was struggling with the vulnerability he was having to show, needing help with something as basic as drinking water.

Galo bit his lip, thinking furiously, his fingers still supporting Lio's chin and effectively preventing him from turning away. _It's okay It's okay this is more than okay-_

Before he could choose any words of reassurance, Lio boldly looked up and again locked Galo in place with only the intensity in his eyes. Only instead of the wall he had expected to have slammed up in his face, he saw a raw openness. Lio nodded slightly to indicate Meis and Gueira, but addressed Galo.

"The Burnish needs are my own." Lio said with quiet force, his gaze stripped of all barriers in his obvious and earnest desire for Galo to understand. His final point in this game.

"I know." Was all Galo could manage through a suddenly tight throat. Because this was purest Lio, unconcealed, fathoms of amethyst and fire declaring how much he _cared_.

Heart thundering, the adoring feeling threatened to overpower Galo again, demanding to be expressed. His fingers moved of their own accord. Shifting from where they rested still barely touching Lio's chin, they gently trace up his jawline. With the gesture came recent memories. He was grateful that the damage was repaired at last, but he would never forget those bruises. _So caring, and yet someone had hurt him with _enthusiasm_. Had used that caring against him_. His fingers trembled slightly as he recalled that there was more damage yet to come. _How do I protect the one who fights so hard to protect everyone else?_ That, Galo knew, was the true final game point. He drew his fingers back down over the smooth skin again, raising a thumb to swipe at a bit of water still lingering at the corner of Lio's lips. Lio's eyes had widened, a question imprinting on his face as he clearly tried to understand these gestures.

Then a wiry but very solid arm was tugging across Galo's shoulders and a boot was planted firmly against his thigh.

The arm belonged to Meis who declared in no uncertain terms, "That is _not_ the kind of _need_ we're talking about relieving here."

Gueira added even more weight to the boot settled on Galo's leg. "Yo, if you're having trouble finding the right needs to take care of, I definitely _need_ a foot massage," he ordered with glee.

Meis held up his hand in front of Galo's face. "It's been forever since I had a good manicure… would be neglectful of you to leave _that_ untended."

Galo simply gaped at them for a beat, both relieved and frustrated by their timely interruption that pulled him from his moment before he could figure out what to do with it. But he recognized he had once again gotten distracted. It seemed the game wasn't quite finished, and he had forgotten to keep an eye on the other players.

_Bring it on_.

He could feel the cockiness enter his grin. He whipped out the hospital brochure Lucy had given him.

"There's a spa on the 18th floor. Take your time."

They stared back for a moment, jaws hanging open at his boldness. Then Meis yanked Galo off the bed but couldn't help chuckling, and Gueira burst out laughing, thumping Galo (a little too hard) on the back in a show of good sportsmanship. "Idiot." Meis murmured, but it was clearly _point to Galo_.

The slightly painful elation lasted only a second as Galo found his attention quickly back on Lio, who was fighting his own grin, eyes dancing like embers in a draft as he watched the three of them. And there went Galo's heart, tumbling down an endless hill.

But, lesson over, Galo still wanted to know, "In addition to all things Burnish, is there anything _just_ Lio needs?"

Lio shifted, a subtle awkwardness that spoke to his continued discomfort with adapting to personal need. But with Galo having acknowledged Lio's point, Lio allowed for his own concession. "Another pillow would be… nice..."

Galo was already out the door.

Five nurses stood in a hushed conversation as he approached. As soon as Lucy saw him, she gave a triumphant grin and held out her hand to three of the others, who ruefully placed five dollars each in the outstretched palm.

"What can I do for you, oh supplier of my lunch?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"Nevermind, what does your cutie need now?"

Galo's face turned into an inferno, and he was unable to reply immediately. The final nurse rolled his eyes and slapped a ten down in front of Lucy.

"L-Lio needs another pillow."

She simply continued grinning and all but skipped to the supply room, returning with the requested item.

"Are you _sure_ you don't need anything else right now?"

Galo hugged the pillow close. "Nope! I… I think I won!"

Lucy just patted his hand and said, "That's great, dear. Make sure to take him out somewhere nice when you do. You'll want it to be memorable."

"W-what?!"

But she had already picked up a phone call and waved him off. He hugged the pillow tighter as he walked a little slower down the hall, trying to give his cheeks time to cool off.

Stopped entirely, heart squeezing, when he heard Lio laugh again. That sound always seemed to pick him up and shoot him straight to the stars. And then Lio spoke and Galo felt his legs freeze in place as he realized they were talking about _him_. "Yes, okay, a bit like a puppy. Hm, do you mean because he's enthusiastic and adorable-" Galo heard a choking sound, "-or because he's fetching so many things for us? Do you think we're being too hard on him?"

"What do you mean?" Gueira's voice was dismissive. "New recruits need to be trained. We're Mad Burnish, ya can't just waltz in and get cozy with the boss."

"Gratitude aside, there are still boundaries." Meis added. "And you don't usually seem to realize when someone is overstepping them. So that ends up being our job."

"Boundaries?" Lio sounded genuinely puzzled. Meis sighed but didn't elaborate before Gueira continued on a slightly different track.

"We're a disreputable gang, people have to know the order and their place." Gueira insisted. "We already let him skip way ahead because he… because when you…" His voice wobbled a bit before choking off. There was a strained silence before Gueira cleared his throat and continued. "Point is, he needs to learn some stuff still."

"I thought you guys agreed with him, though? About, uh, saying more... things… about letting people help- I mean, he's not telling _you_ what to do, he's holding _me_ accountable about things _you_ agree with. Why are you sometimes acting more annoyed than I am?"

"You're _both_ annoying," Meis stated. "But we know _you're_ unlikely to get a clue anytime soon."

"And until _you_ notice and figure things out, _he_ needs to know where the boundaries are-like, you're not even _aware_." Gueira sounded frustrated.

"_I'm_ beginning to doubt whether we should leave you alone with him for very long." Meis continued.

"What?" There was a genuine mix of confusion and worry in Lio's tone now.

"He's getting very _distractible_." Meis continued.

"And handsy." Gueira grumbled.

Lio sounded incredulous now. "He's _trained_ to provide support, he's just doing his job."

"You are _so dense_ sometimes." Meis sounded pained.

A flare of warning melted the ice in his legs and Galo began walking quickly again. He didn't know what exactly they meant by everything, but the conversation was definitely veering into uncomfortable territory and he wanted it _over_.

"Like, even _I_ can tell-" Gueira was in the middle of agreeing when Galo finally strode into the room. Now clutching the pillow in a death grip.

The two lieutenants immediately leveled mild glares at him and inched closer to Lio.

Lio's gaze quickly shifted between the three before he got a look of realization. Flicking an affectionate glance at his fellow Burnish, he addressed Galo who was edging around them to deliver the pillow. "Ignore them, they just get stressed when they have to leave me in someone else's care."

Lio smiled triumphantly after his statement, like he had revealed he'd finally figured everything out.

Meis smacked a palm to his forehead.

"Yes, Galo," Gueira rolled his eyes and stepped forward, slinging an arm around him. "We're feeling _stressed_."

Meis slid his hand down his face, then smiled humorlessly with narrowed eye at Galo. "By several recent _proximity_ breaches. _Specific_ kinds that go beyond standard support."

Galo blanked his face, pointedly ignoring the comments because there was no good place that line of conversation could go.

Then he held out the pillow for them to take.

Their faces shifted, animosity ever so subtly morphing to surprise, then acceptance of the peace offering. With a small nod of acknowledgement, Meis took the pillow and Gueira happily moved to support Lio as Meis arranged the pillows.

"Thank you," Lio smiled, and nestled back a little further, clearly relieved to be supported sitting up straighter. Seeing that smile, a need requested and fulfilled, his three companions felt something ease from their shoulders at this small but powerful win.

"Speaking of support..." Lio began, clearing his throat and immediately leaping back to business. "The Burnish in hiding."

Game won. On to the bigger field. A battlefield. Together.

Meis and Gueira nodded, sighed, and plopped down on Lio's bed. Gueira rested his chin on Meis' shoulder. Lio looked at Galo and glanced at the chair beside him, inviting him to sit.

"What specific information do we have about who and where? And what more can we get?" Lio began.

The intel they had was incomplete, but with the help of different Burnish groups and leaders, they believed they could round it out enough to make a fairly thorough plan. There were currently more than sixteen thousand Burnish known to be in immediate danger, scattered across five continents. They were all temporarily secure, but it wouldn't last long.

Formerly, when trying to identify allies, all they had had to do was show their flames and they knew they were among fellow Burnish. There were few Burnish who would be widely recognized on sight besides Lio, but Meis and Gueira were quite known as well, and local groups tended to know others close to them. Within 40 minutes, Lio, Meis, and Gueira had the beginnings of a network approach to identifying and reaching the Burnish groups in need, relying on a chain of relationships. It was more complex than having one known person do all the work, but it would work.

Galo felt a sense of wonder watching them plan, realizing once again how much everyone had underestimated the Mad Burnish. Who were clearly _not_ disbanded, contrary to reports. They had built a global network with none of the resources governments and wealthy actors had. And Lio seemed to be able to hold the whole web in his mind at once, knowing the implications of a pulled thread here, a crucial juncture there. He could see how the people fit into a big picture, yet understood individuals' needs and how they would respond, who could help or hinder, and how. His intuition was honed to a fine edge, and Galo was no longer surprised that a single unexpected betrayal would be such an exception and such a blow. Risks and opportunities were quickly and decisively assessed, something Galo could understand and appreciate based on his own tactical training. And something powerful was inferred by the way they planned- it was clear to Galo that the Burnish were _aligned_ in ways he had trouble imagining for a group spread out across the whole world. It made him intensely curious to know how things had played out in the past decade, the truth about the Burnish community rather than the propaganda he'd always been fed.

To Galo's true joy, Lio seemed to regain a bit of energy while engaging in the conversation, sitting up and holding the tablet on his own. Galo was too excited by all the rescue talk to hold back, despite his limited understanding of the context. The other three were surprisingly open to his contributions, especially when he provided ideas about transporting rescuees that the others hadn't considered. And a plan began to take solid shape.

"It's probably less risky than having a single leverage point, anyway" Lio pondered, looking at the network outline they had roughed out.

"I think I learned somewhere that it's stronger to have several," Meis smiled.

"And this way multiple rescues can be underway at the same time," Lio was beginning to look relieved.

"Imagine that, things happen quicker if you don't do everything yourself," Gueira grinned.

Lio lowered the map and mock-glared at his lieutenants. "I'm saying 'I told you so' _for_ you, you don't have to be so smug about it."

"Yes, we do," they chimed at the same time, faces deadpan.

Lio just laughed. Something eased in all of them, and they couldn't help joining in again with pure relief. Galo thought laughing together might be the most addicting thing he'd ever experienced.

But as the laughter faded, none of them missed the sadness Lio tried not to show as his eyes lingered on the screen displaying their plans. So clearly saying _but I still want to go, I need to be out there, need to save them_.

Meis gently took the tablet and set it aside with one hand, keeping contact with Lio's hands with the other.

"We'll finish up tomorrow. Try to get some sleep." Meis reassuringly stroked his hair. Then with a final squeeze of Lio's hands, hopped off the bed. He had clearly been keeping a close eye on his boss' energy. At least the temperature on the monitor was finally below 110F.

Lio opened his mouth to reply, but Gueira cut him off. "We will, too." He smirked when Lio looked rueful at being read so easily.

"In the morning, we'll use the outline to coordinate on filling in the intel gaps." Meis promised.

Lio nodded and settled fully back, eyes already starting to blink more slowly. "…then we should have a go-plan by the afternoon." He sleepy-smiled his approval, clearly trying to be supportive. With a sigh he closed his eyes, finally letting the exhaustion take over. It took a few moments for the remaining tension to bleed out of his face.

Meis and Gueira didn't bother hiding their soft looks as they watched Lio drop off. They stood there for a minute, and Galo respected the moment silently.

"You."

It took Galo a moment to realize he was being addressed. He pointed stupidly to himself as he noticed Meis was looking at him. Gueira gave him an unimpressed look and jerked his head over to the end of the room with the cots, indicating Galo should follow.

This was it, then. The payback for his earlier indiscretions and audacity. Showing him whatever boundaries they had been talking about.

The two Burnish took a seat on one cot and pointed for Galo to sit on the one facing them. They crossed their arms and stared at him. Galo scratched the back of his head nervously. When they finally spoke, he was prepared for a verbal pummeling.

"Thank you."

Galo froze. Tried to figure out if he'd missed something, because that was _not_ what he was expecting.

"Pisses me off that we have to say it again-" Gueira muttered, but Meis raised a hand to silence him. Then slung an arm companionably around his shoulders before facing Galo again.

"I don't think you know how much of a miracle that was," Meis began.

"Boss letting go like that, about the Burnish plans," Gueira clarified.

"And accepting help." Meis added. Then his tone turned marveling. "Having fun with everything…"

"Without a fight."

"Which… would be dangerous for him right now."

All three felt the return of anxiety at the depressing reality.

Galo knew how much they cared about Lio, understood and protected him in ways Galo couldn't immediately comprehend. And he knew they were giving him too much credit again. Far too much.

"Actually… I think I first _added_ to a lot of the problems with that. Made him resist harder."

Meis and Gueira gave him puzzled looks. Galo took a deep breath and leaned forward, resting his forearms against his knees.

"I'm not very good at _seeing_… I mean, at knowing what someone really needs or wants…" He could see years of Kray's steadily smiling face, hiding one infused with darkness and hatred so keenly focused on _him_. On their history together. Lio's face had been anything but steady-anger, sadness, intensity, exasperation, determination, joy-but it had hidden something that hurt worse. Pain that Galo had unknowingly let fester.

From their first battle to each of their following encounters, Galo had repeatedly turned a blind eye to the harm being inflicted on Lio, just glancing over things as if they were minor hurdles-or even Lio's fault-and pushing him forward as if _Galo_ knew better. He now knew all the experiences that drove Lio to becoming the dragon, and felt ashamed that his first words to the tormented Burnish once he'd released the fire were if he had _calmed down already_. As if Lio had been a recalcitrant teen throwing a fit rather than a deeply caring person who had lost everything and been tortured to near insanity.

And just this past day… he couldn't bear to think about this morning for more than a moment. Remembering how his actions had pushed Lio into reliving that deep trauma. It had been terrifying to watch the internal storm ravage him. To watch how hard Lio had to fight to stay whole when so many things were tearing him up inside. Galo's ignorance and clumsy attempts at getting the weakened patient to open up had almost pushed Lio to his _death_. Galo could still feel the cold of that shock.

He had made Kray hate him. Lio, brave soul, was opening up now, despite all the ways Galo had screwed up so far. But Galo was terrified that he was on the same path to destroying it all. He had initially been so confident that everything he was doing with both of them was right, was supportive, but it was the opposite. He had failed them because he hadn't _seen_ them.

Ignis had said to see beyond the smoke, but Galo had just ended up lighting a bunch more stuff on fire. Meis and Gueira deserved to know the truth. They were already worried about his interactions with Lio. There were plenty of examples he could think of that showed how their concerns were more than justified. He took a deep, shuddering breath before giving them the summary.

"I'm not good at knowing how to help. And Lio is extra smoky, so it's been even harder and I messed up. A _lot_. I don't blame him for not trusting or wanting _my_ help, and I think that adds to him fighting against it from everyone else."

Gueira and Meis were giving him the flattest of looks.

"That is... definitely not what's been happening." Meis shook his head.

Gueira clapped a hand on Galo's shoulder. "It's not you. Boss always goes overboard like this. It's part of what's made so many _crazy terrorists_ respect him as a leader, he never asks anything of any of us that he's not willing to go all out and do himself-"

"-typically _prioritizing_ doing the dangerous stuff himself, so no one else gets hurt, especially if he's upset-" Meis interjected.

"Or has decided to blame himself for whatever." Gueira scowled, digging his fingers into his hair in frustration.

"But before it wasn't so bad-it was never like _this_." An agonized tension filled Meis' voice, his brow drawing tighter. He pulled his arm off Gueira's shoulder and turned inward. He was silent a moment, staring down at nothing while rubbing the fingers of his hands together. Gueira placed a hand on his shoulder, a steady reassurance that they would wait until he was ready to continue. When Meis looked back up, Galo saw a deep fury burning in his eyes. If it had been focused on him, he would have been genuinely afraid. He barely recognized Meis' voice. "It's not right for him to be this way. All the injuries. All the bruising and broken things." He grit his teeth, hands clenching into fists and shoulders rising with tension. "It's _not right_ for anyone to have been able to hurt him so much." He looked ready to kill.

Gueira, catching the fire, growled with equal ferocity, his rage more wild, ready to strike at anything. "He shouldn't be stuck like that, he shouldn't be _frozen_ or _burning_ alive or-" He choked off, fury breaking into a terrified sorrow across his expressive face.

_Dying_.

They all avoided the word in the silence.

But their eyes were drawn across the room to a resting face that still bore the weary traces of recent suffering. Watched the slight rise and fall of his chest for reassurance. They could _taste_ the bitter fear, heavy in the silence around them.

Meis kept his eyes locked on that beloved face. "He sometimes got hurt, and that was terrifying, we hated it, but his fire was so strong it could take care of him." He wrapped a shaking arm around Gueira, fingers tightening as they held on.

"He acted like he was invincible because he practically was, so he just took care of everyone else," Gueira explained, fury and grief battling for dominance in his expression.

Meis tore his eyes back to Galo and slammed a fist into the bed. "He gives everyone else a light to follow. He shouldn't have his energy _burned out_ like this. He shouldn't be _hurting."_

_"He shouldn't be hurting_," Gueira vehemently repeated, eyes on fire,_ "_He's _Lio_." Meis nodded once, a sharp edge of sorrow in his tone as he repeated, "He's _Lio_." As if that fully explained the wrongness. And Galo knew exactly what they meant.

It was the same feeling he'd had when he jumped out of a deathrow prison as the whole city was on fire and the world about to burn, and decided the first priority was a certain dragon crying in pain.

"He gives _everything_." Eyes ignited, Meis pressed his lips tightly together as he looked back at Lio.

"Everything." Gueria swiped a sleeve across his eyes and leaned into Meis' arm. "And now he's left with nothing. All those hateful assholes shouldn't have been able to do this to him. Not to Lio."

Galo felt every word echo in his own soul, had tasted the bitterness of this anger and fear, the injustice, the _not right_. But how much more potent must it feel for the two who had been living with Lio for years, fighting together for each other and their people? Their fear for Lio's wellbeing had balanced out with confidence in the strength of his fire. Now that fire was gone. And they just had to watch him suffer.

But they weren't right about everything.

"He doesn't have nothing left." Galo said quietly, breaking through the dark feelings threading through all three of them. "He has you."

Meis and Gueira turned their anguished faces to him as he spoke. "I think that has meant everything to him. I think that's why he still… why he's… trying so hard. Why he doesn't give up. He got back what was most important to him."

Meis released a choked breath as he leaned forward, face in his hands, bracing his elbows on his knees. Gueira dropped his forehead to Meis' shoulder, arms fully encircling, giving and seeking comfort in the same gesture. After a few unsteady breaths, Meis turned and squeezed his arms tightly around Gueira, and they simply held each other, eyes clench shut. Sharing the weight of their loyalty and love for their family of three, their grief and fear for the one still suffering and in danger, their anger that could find no outlet, and all the remembered joy and present sorrow.

Galo looked down and studied his hands, as much to give them a semblance of privacy as to process his own heartbreak over the situation. But it was hard to see past the remorse and helplessness. He didn't know how much time passed before Gueira's hand finally touched his knee. He looked up and saw the two Burnish leaning against each other but facing him again. Meis took a breath and broke the silence.

"He has you, too."

Tears sprang to Galo's eyes and his throat tightened, so all he could do is nod.

Gueira looked again at Lio. Then his face deepened once more into grief-laced fear as he turned back to Meis with a disturbing thought. "What if it's not enough? What if _we're_ not enough again?" Gueira visibly shuddered. "What if he still-I can't watch again." Gueira frantically grabbed Meis' arm, panic tightening the muscles across his body and face. "I can't watch it happen again, Meis."

In a reaction opposite to Gueira's but no less disturbing, Meis stiffened and went absolutely still. He said nothing. His eyes grew wide, haunted, unblinking as they fixed in the distance. Seeing nothing but previous horrors rather than the present.

Gueira's eyes seemed to fix on a similar spot. "What if in the end we can't…"

And then they were both locked away in the pain still raw in their hearts and minds, as surely as if they had been clamped back into the pods of that death machine.

Galo registered that they were showing somewhat different symptoms from anyone he'd seen with flashbacks-in fact their breathing had grown _too_ quiet-but their disconnected distance was alarming enough. He spoke to ground them, to call them back to the present. "Gueira. Meis. That isn't happening right now. Lio is safe. You're safe. You're here with me in the hospital."

Their eyes slowly moved to him. Meis reached over and took Gueira's hand. Took a deeper breath, which Gueira mirrored a moment later. They both closed their eyes briefly and took several measured breaths. Galo realized this was an intentional routine, and that this definitely wasn't the first situation in which they had had to use it. He was stunned when they opened their eyes and seemed almost normal.

"Are you… okay?" Galo asked.

Meis nodded and murmured, "Thank you. It's a… Burnish thing." The tone of finality clearly stating there would be no discussion about the episode.

Gueira caught the thought he'd left on, though, and sorrowfully asked again, "What if we can't save him?"

Burnish mystery aside, Galo's specialty was focusing on the moment. And Gueira's question was at the heart of everything.

"We _can_." Galo spoke into the heavy air, heart aching for the two. Clawed away his own memory of that scream, and a cold, gray, lifeless face, and a slender body disintegrating in his arms. "We will. _He_ will." He took a shaky breath. "_We_ can't give up hope," he all but pleaded.

They looked at him, troubled.

"He's _still Lio_."

Something unlocked. Their faces began to ease. Galo had hoped that reminder would bring comfort. After all, they had unconditional faith in their boss, _not_ just his fire-and also believed he was worth fighting anything for. Lio gave them hope, and they'd give it right back.

Gueira took a steadying breath and Meis straightened. They slung an arm around each other's shoulders and reached their free hands forward to rest on Galo's shoulders. Galo did the same, completing the huddle.

"We won't give up," Meis promised and Gueira nodded.

"We'll save Lio again," Galo added for good measure. A promise bond between the three.

Gueira broke contact first, huffing a breathy laugh as he slumped over against Meis' shoulder. "Even if he fights us on it." Gueira gave a crooked smile, affection for their stubborn boss breaking through fear at last.

"Yeah." Meis rested his cheek on Gueira's head, the ghost of a smile forming on his face. He shook his head slightly and looked back at Galo. "Like we were saying, he's always had this... _difficulty_ accepting help. It really isn't on you."

That didn't mean he hadn't made it worse, Galo figured.

Gueira nodded. "He always takes on too much himself, and finds it stupidly hard to ask for help, even when he needs it."

"So we always have to manage against those tendencies," Meis' sigh had years of weariness behind it. "But it's just... So much worse now. The stakes are… It would be so easy to lose him. We can't let it slide anymore."

Galo nodded, recognizing this matched up with his own observations and conclusions. That only made his blunders worse, as far as he could figure.

"With you… he's different. Than with most people." Meis admitted.

"Yeah…" Galo agreed. He'd earned a lot of those walls. He had a lot to work on.

"Yeah, like, Lio's fire…" Gueira continued.

Now they'd lost Galo. His fire?

Meis and Gueira shared a look, spoke to each other silently, deciding. Finally Meis leaned forward with his arms on his knees, and Galo moved to mirror him, intensely face-to-face. Meis spoke quietly, as if trying to be discreet.

"We don't normally talk with outsiders about what it's like to sync with the fire. The extent to which Lio explained it to you right off was _unusual_, to say the least."

It had surprised Galo, too, considering they'd been on opposite sides at the time and Lio had shown he didn't expect Galo to listen and believe it. A lack of faith he'd then gone ahead and confirmed by openly doubting and criticizing._ If you just stopped starting fires you could live like _normal. And then immediately running back to Kray. The one torturing them all. He cringed.

"Stop that."

"Your face hides nothing. Like, ever."

"You're not hearing this right."

"Almost as bad as Boss."

"So shut up your brain-shouldn't be hard-and just listen, okay? We're going to keep needing your help, so you need to understand this." Meis touched Galo's arm briefly to refocus him, then took a breath and continued. "Lio has always been different, even within the Burnish. The exceptional among the exceptional."

"Most Burnish have a bond with their fire-with the Promare, I guess-that is just instinct," Gueira explained, opening his hands as if summoning a flame. "Some Burnish could tell there was a _will_ behind the fire. We always could," he nodded to Meis, "and then it's more intentional. Like, an exchange of thoughts."

Meis picked up the thread, "Then you can build with your fire, direct the flames, temper them. It was a requirement for becoming Mad Burnish. But Lio had always said they were truly alive and could communicate. I kind of get what he was saying, but not fully. As best as we could tell, he truly empathized with them and built a deeper bond. He wanted to know their needs and intentions."

Gueira scrunched his brow, thinking. "It was like, he wanted to make sure the fire-life was taken care of, too, in addition to the Burnish humans. And because he listened to them, they listened back. Lio and the fire learned how to speak to each other more fluently or something."

"When we started understanding things he was explaining, what he was translating, and then acting on it, it was easier for all of us to control our fire. To have fewer accidents or outbursts. To do more with it. And to connect to each other better. Basically we synced better, so we all improved and became precise enough to pull off the missions we did without hurting anyone. Some of the operations were crazy impressive." Meis explained, followed by Gueira again.

"Now we know about the Promare, it makes sense. They probably _were_ trying to communicate and figure out our strange world."

"Anyway, the bond he had with the fire beings... He called it, um, a heart sync."

"So embarrassing."

"We gave him hell about it all the time."

"But really, it was wickedly amazing."

"Not just for all the things _he_ could do. Also, for what he could do for others." Meis agreed.

Gueira put a hand to his heart. "In some extreme cases, he would even offer his fire for awhile-transfer his will for it to follow, like, translate-to those of us he was super close to. He said his heart had to be open to ours for it to work, whatever that means. All I know is, there was a kind of… place… he could bring you to... And then the connection to the fire was so _strong_ and precise. We could hear each other more clearly. It was the craziest feeling, it was like..." Gueira searched for an analogy.

"Going from riding a tricycle to a precision racing bike."

"Yeah! Which meant the power and level of control was just totally different."

"He never made that connection with a non-Burnish before you. I wouldn't have thought it possible. In any case, for Boss to ask the fire to go protect you, and for the fire to be able to do it, would have required a heart sync between… you two." Meis watched Galo carefully as he said this, picking up on his confusion and astonishment. "The fire-Promare, I guess-wouldn't have known what to stay connected to outside of Lio's body otherwise. What to listen to."

Galo's mind flew back to a moment. He had been desperate to save Lio from Kray's crushing grip, but Kray had swatted him away like a fly. And he had fallen to what should have been his death. Only… Lio's fire had engulfed him and then he was _somewhere_. It was fuzzy in his memory, but he did recall a blissful warmth, a sense of space, voices that spoke without sound. The most tangible thing had been a hand-Lio's hand-holding his, passing something on. Then he opened his eyes, without having realized he even closed them, and Aina was there. At the time he figured he had just passed out as the fire saved his body from the fall.

Galo also remembered the alien sensation of being connected to the Promare, the way there was a presence, _warm, enveloping, permeating_, an_ I am here_ sense of protection. A questioning presence in his heart that responded to his will. He had known from the first moment that it was from Lio, because it _felt_ like Lio, like he was still holding his hand as the small flame flickered in his palm, combined with something so different that it was like being asked to talk to a color. Or a fire, he supposed.

"Whatever else is rattling around in that brain of yours... Y'should know you do mean something to Boss." Gueira said, only slightly begrudgingly.

"And he trusts you. A rather insane amount, for him." Meis glanced away. "Which is why he listens, and part of why you particularly can help him."

"Part?"

Shrug. "The rest is cuz you have your own way. _We_ don't even understand that."

"And we... You know we wouldn't leave Boss with just anyone."

"Plus, it's annoyingly clear to us that he needs you. Especially right now."

"And maybe not _just_ needs but also-" An elbow to the ribs silenced Gueira's somewhat sulky comment.

"Not for us to say." Meis murmured.

Gueira huffed, then pointed a commanding finger at Galo. "Well, back off with the extra touching!"

"_And_ the smouldering." Meis added.

"Smouldering?!"

"The _looks_."

So he was right-they _had_ noticed those moments when the pull took over.

"I don't _mean_ to, it's just... _Lio_… y'know?" Galo began to gesture as if his hands could make the point for him. "With the… and plus… and then all the… all the everything!" Galo looked at them, seeking some kind of answer to this puzzle. Meis was biting his lip, and Gueira wasn't hiding his grin of amusement. "Do you think it's the sync thing? Like, aftermath?"

"No! That's not how it works. You don't see _us_ being idiotic like that." Meis rolled his eyes.

Gueira stared at Galo incredulously. "You really are just as dense as he is!"

"This is going to get so annoying."

"We _should_ do that spa thing."

"Definitely deserve it."

Meis looked back at Galo, then suddenly chuckled. "Your face is hilarious. Don't think too hard. The sync is a channel. It facilitates a flow but it's never _created_ feelings."

"You don't even need to understand it." Gueira declared, confidence now returning. "Just follow Gueira's never-fail advice: If life gets confusing, just try to think of the times when things were going right and repeat that stuff." Gueira suggested with an easy grin and a 'tah-dah!' gesture. "I always think that's the best guide."

This advice made a lot of sense to Galo.

"Well that explains a lot about your selective memory," Meis elbowed Gueira again.

"Just spreading my wisdom, yo."

With a pained sigh, Meis gave Gueira a final side hug and then shoved him off the cot, "Go get in your own bed, before your brilliance overwhelms us." Gueira just grinned at Meis and grasped Galo's shoulder briefly as he rose. "'Night." He flopped down on his cot and snuggled under his extra blanket, almost instantly asleep.

Meis shook his head fondly at what was clearly predictable behavior for Gueira. Then he turned back to Galo, serious. "Meis' always-follow _rule_: always do what's best for Lio. You seem to have an instinct about that. For most things. But…" Meis looked uncharacteristically conflicted. "Look, part of having extraordinary empathy is the vulnerability to get extraordinarily hurt. And for all his jaded persona, Lio is really quite… innocent and trusting in surprising ways. He's definitely got blind spots." Galo's attention was like a laser beam, trying to understand what he was being told about the most fascinating subject ever. Meis looked faintly guilty, as if he was telling a secret. But then his face became stern. "All of that is amplified with those he's close to. So, be careful. About what you say and do. Even if-_especially_ if you're running on instinct or impulse." The instructive tone shifted to one of warning with Meis' next words. "Don't hurt him. Figure things out yourself before your actions confuse him. And make sure he understands your meaning so he can make… aware choices." Meis paused, as if reviewing memories or mental notes. Then he became irritated. "And for the love of all that is flammable, stop forgetting we're there watching when we've literally been in the room the whole time! I know you're just being brainless, but it's like you're testing us to see what we'll let you get away with." He flicked Galo's forehead. "Idiot." And with a final disgruntled huff, Meis lay back on his cot, ending the conversation.

Rubbing his forehead after Meis' attack, Galo stored away the instructions. He thought he understood them, but "don't hurt Lio" seemed really obvious. And not enough. He wanted to _help_ Lio.

So he began pondering Gueira's advice as he stood to turn off the light, mind furiously processing what he'd been told over the past hour.

…_try to think of the times when things were going right and repeat that stuff_…

Well. Times when he had thought things were going _right_, like with Kray, they had secretly been going very wrong. And times that had seemed _hard_ with Lio, the times they confronted each other, were actually better. They were honest. Real. They pulled the burning firefighter and the cool flame together, showed they were not so different.

He flipped the light switch and stood in the dark for a moment, letting his eyes adjust, still thinking.

Kray had been hiding his hatred from Galo for a long time. The estimation he had shown had been false. But if what Meis and Gueira said was true, then Lio must... Actually _truly_ think well of him in some way. It didn't sound like something that could be faked, this heart sync. _His heart had to be open to the person for it to work_… Lio had cared enough to... Galo reached up and touched his heart, looking over to the dim outline of the one who had filled it with fire, wonder rising as he recalled again the feeling of that flame's embracing presence.

Kray had sent Galo into fire wishing for his death. Lio had sent Galo his own fire hoping for his life.

They were opposite situations. They were opposite _people_. He… shouldn't be comparing them, trying to understand his mistakes with Lio by looking at the ones he made with Kray. They would be different.

So worrying so much about repeating old, irrelevant failures wouldn't help him learn how to help Lio now. The Burnish leader was his own extraordinary person and had been the one to show Galo those problems in the first place. How had Kray gotten tangled up with Lio in his head? There was something dark and terrifying there inside, and he quickly shut it out and backed away. He should be focusing on the new stuff _Lio_ was showing him. Every moment with him had felt like a revelation. And Lio, with his _stubborn_ generosity and fiery compassion and unrelenting bravery and playful kindness, had indeed already been steadily pulling his own thoughts away from painful self-recrimination to the joy of supporting someone who deserved it.

Galo's feet drifted him closer to the source of that joy, the person illuminating his soul and yet flooding it with grief. Ever the contradiction.

He stopped when he reached the bedside, now easily able to see the graceful lines of that objectively beautiful face. It was sometimes hard to believe it was real. Heart racing at the risk of ignoring Gueira and Meis' warnings, but finding the pull irresistible, he reached out his left hand and touched his fingers to Lio's cheek. It was still decidedly warmer than his own skin, and _so soft_. His speeding heart screeched to a stop as Lio unconsciously turned his head slightly to lean into the touch. Did he… somehow know it was Galo? It was an unreasonable but heady thought.

He could never let anyone hurt him again.

This crystal clear thought brought him back to the core question: how could he protect Lio?

_Think of the times when things were going right_…

With Lio specifically, this time.

Well, nothing had felt so right as when they were working together as one. Piloting the coolest mech ever, wielding the ultimate Matoi, following Lio to wherever the heck he had taken Galo to blast their solar system and save their planet with their very souls fused together. It had also felt right, in the midst of a whole lot of wrong, to be in the borrowed embrace of Lio's fire, that depth of connection. And, for awhile, it had felt right to be rescuing people together.

But it seemed to Galo that Lio had been the one doing the _giving_ during all of those situations. So what could Galo learn about his own options from any of that? What could he possibly offer Lio?

_He needs you. Especially right now._

Meis and Gueira knew Lio better than anyone, and they insisted Lio needed him. _Why?_

He had promised to save Lio. _How?_

He did, desperately, want to support Lio in _every_ way. Keep him from facing everything inside and out alone. For the second time, Galo wished the Promare were still here. So he could once more join his heart to Lio's. Offer his strength, this time to save not the whole world, but the one who brought light to his.

This wasn't a fight he could afford to lose.

With a shaking breath, he lifted his right hand and placed his fingertips on the covers over Lio's heart. It should have been impossible to feel the beat through the blankets, but Galo swore he could. And then Lio turned his head just a bit more to press even further into his left hand, and Galo had to squeeze his eyes shut for a moment as his heart clenched. He grit his teeth. He wanted to pick Lio up and hold him and never let go. Instead he focused on the heartbeats, letting them unwind the anguish inside with their steady reassurance.

And sure enough, they lit a fire.

Galo's eyes snapped open. Even if they couldn't connect in a Promare-fueled sync, he needed to be there, to be close, so Lio wouldn't be facing things alone in his heart.

_Please let me stay with you._

He would find a way. To give Lio everything he had in him. And make sure Lio let him.

Because if Lio needed him…

All the burning of his soul would be there for the one who kept it on fire.

* * *

Eesh, there was a lot of information in this chapter. Thanks for bearing with some processing/transition. So now you've been introduced to my weird heart sync headcanon. I've been weaving evidence of that into every chapter so far. I'm curious if you have any guesses about anything coming up in the plot… heh heh…

The game at the beginning may have seemed simple (stupid) enough, but it's a pretty telling character moment for Lio in two ways. First, as a leader, he's just realized he's caused a lot of stress for his guys, and also there is a foundational counterpoint he wants to make to the new understanding Galo just gave him about his own needs. So making a game out of it is his way of trying to give them some relief while instructing organically. Second, he's a realist (layered over a hopeless idealist)-he may die, and he wants to make sure those he cares about will take care of each other. That they know that's the best way to continue _his_ story.

Just ignore me sitting over here in my corner crying...

Random notes in no particular order:

Y'know. I'm thinking Galo maybe should have spent a little more time thinking about Meis' advice, too. Jus sayin.

I love Gueira, I just wrote a scene for the sequel from his POV, and it was a TON of fun.

Galo is providing a lot of entertainment for the hospital staff. He has totally told everyone who would listen how awesome Lio is, including random people in the lobby who have no idea what he's talking about. But they all agree his lovesick bragging is adorable.

#givemeisandgueiratheirspaday

They will go with Aina, Lucia, and Varys and have a delightful time. Epilogued!

The first time Galo wished the Promare were back was of course when it was revealed that Lio's healing was incomplete. Aw. :'(

Next chapter:

Fair warning, the next chapter has three different kinds of pain. Maybe more. But I was excited, because I finally got to start writing an action scene. I love those. Why am I writing a fic of just people talking and thinking. Sigh.


	7. Always, For Now

A now-familiar flood of unending screams tried to follow Lio once more as he pulled himself awake from yet another dream-almost a complete nightmare, but for the light of the fire trail and the warmth of the hand holding his, protecting. The dreams had become so unrelenting, so real the past few days, it was hard to actually feel rested.

But a very genuine sense of relief washed away any lingering dread. He realized that for once, wakefulness did not bring acute pain.

He was tired, but not hurting.

He couldn't help a smile as for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, the morning was something that held possibility rather than simply a need to endure.

This was going to be a good day. Whether it wanted to cooperate or not, Lio was going to make sure it was. And so was tomorrow. And the day after. Heris had said will power was an important part of his survival chances, so he was steeling his.

Seeing his three loyal idiots still fast asleep on their cots, he took a moment to psych himself up and do a little math.

Meis + Gueira + Galo = exhausted

And quite frankly, he could now recognize that his actions had backfired from his intentions and made that worse. Rather than keeping a burden from their shoulders, making things easier for them, by resisting their support he had made them waste energy on fighting him and worrying.

They… they were going to take care of him, with or without his help. Gratitude sank its warmth into his heart.

So. Going to do better. He'd make sure to be honest with them about his physical wellbeing, accept their care, and include them in the planning regarding it. That should sufficiently show his trust in them, right?

Plus…

He thought of their game yesterday, and all the little happinesses that had come from seeing them take care of each other and letting them take care of him like they seemed to want to do. Hmmm. And discovering those looks of… _concentration_ Galo got. They had sent a liquid fire racing through his veins. They might have surpassed even the firefighter's confident grins in the list of things that Lio very much enjoyed replaying in his mind.

He tried to shake the distraction away, tucking it affectionately into a corner of his mind for later. Because time was of the essence right now. He returned to his math.

The second equation required some actual calculation and a smidge of guess work. Since there had been a consistent timing correlation between when he had sustained injuries and when the boosted healing wore off, he realized he could approximate the likely timing of future events. With the exception of the ice bullet, which he figured was an outlier since his body had been in stasis for a week, everything lined up.

Three days, as best as he could figure. Three days before the effects of jumping out of a destroyed robot and physically facing off against that psycho three times his size caught up to him. That fourth day would suck.

There were things he wanted to do with the three days. To fight for survival. To take care of the Burnish. To respect the feelings of his friends. And... to make sure his people had a path to healing, whether or not he was there to walk it with them. That would be the trickiest part - putting that in motion without giving any hint about why he was prioritizing it right now. He knew the others would stand firmly in denial for as long as they could. But he wasn't going to look away from the possibility-probably likelihood-that he wouldn't be here on day five. That first experience burning to death was too real to him to pretend it was anything less than it was. He'd resist that fate until the end, but he also wanted to prepare things as best he could for the survivors.

He would never say it to anyone else, but he was scared. It wasn't that he hadn't faced death before, but never an unnerving countdown clock he couldn't fight against. And he was going to have to face _that_ pain again. Just thinking about it for a second set him screaming internally, his pulse doubling and his chest clenching with a pang... _No_, he couldn't think about that now. Not on _his_ time, his three days. He wouldn't let Kray take that from him, too. He breathed steadily through clenched teeth, applying sheer force of will, until his heart slowed its frantic pace. It didn't stop hurting, though.

Because mixed with that fear was a kind of... preemptive grief. Sitting in his hospital bed looking at his best friends and thinking of his people, he could envision their lives moving forward. It wouldn't be easy, but there could be a future now. One that promised, at last, some measure of possible happiness. Of freedom. Of a place to be and precious new friends to be with. Of beginning to think about what they actually _wanted_. Of safety enough to try _so many_ new things. Pizza and ice cream and karaoke bowling and walking down a street just talking and sitting on a couch competing against each other in stupid games and building crazy things and seeing those bright smiles that filled you up all the way and...

And he might not be there with them. After everything.

Two drops fell from his face to the blankets covering his lap.

Hope was hovering there like a light at the edge of the horizon, promising dawn. A sun he could begin to believe would rise for everyone else, but it would never have the chance to shine on him. He'd be like a ghost left in the darkness he'd lived in his whole life, a memory washed away with the light, left behind as time pulled everyone else he loved forward, out of his reach. It was a relief to know that new day was before _them_, but…

He could feel his heart struggling, squeezing a little too hard, irregular, desperately trying to find it's rhythm, as tears ignored his commands and tumbled unrelenting down his face. How could he miss people he hadn't even left yet?

But he did.

_I want to stay with them. I want to keep fighting for them. I want our future together._

He clenched his hands that now felt so empty and cold. These fingers could do nothing. Soon they would hold nothing.

He wondered if his Promare would know if he wasn't there anymore. They may be in another world, but they'd lived in his heart for a long time. Was there any way to say a final goodbye? An intense loneliness for their missing ever-presence wound together with the vision of leaving his human friends, and the last of his restraint broke. He wrapped his arms around himself as a suffocating heaviness pushed against his back, bending him forward until he was pressed against the blankets in his lap. The tears rolled down in a torrent as his throat clenched so tight he didn't know how to breathe again without letting out a sob that would surely wake the others.

That thought brought a sense of horror to his overwhelming grief, and he brought shaking hands up to press against his mouth, desperate to lock himself in silence as he huddled there.

Long seconds ticked by with no relief. He squeezed his eyes even tighter, imagining that blocking the tears might release his lungs so the air could_ quietly_ enter them again. His chest was burning by the time he was finally able to take in a stuttering, but quiet breath. He wanted to gasp in the oxygen to his starved lungs but controlled it ruthlessly to keep the noise down.

He had this. He was good at toughing things out.

Clenching fistfuls of the covers, it took another minute before his chest stopped locking up with every breath. He managed his way to a more normal cadence with a self-directed fury.

Which brought with it an edge of panic that finally allowed him to sit up further. Swiping his fingers at the wet trails on his cheeks and trying to scrub away the damp spots on his blanket, Lio began to frantically erase the evidence of his inner weakness that had spilled out. He glanced at the others, dread easing as he saw they slept on. Still laboring to inhale and exhale regularly, he summoned enough strength in his still weak arms to grab the water bottle at his bedside, pour a small quantity into his cupped hand, and scrub it across his face. He wiped all remaining moisture off on the inside of his sheets.

Eyes again fixed on the sleeping forms across the room, he focused on taking one deep breath after another, until the pattern became less of a conscious chore. Relief uncurled in his heart at having escaped a scene. They did _not_ need more evidence of how pathetic he'd become. How much the inside matched the outside. They didn't need to see him crying. This inner pain wasn't something they needed to know or carry.

He had to do better.

With a final sigh, he scrubbed the back of his hand across his eyes as if that would remove evidence, his arm dropping again in ever-present weariness. He looked at the monitor-it read 105F, but he didn't feel hot. A little chilly, actually, if he left the protection of his blanket.

His extra blanket.

There. It was trembling, but he had found the first rung on a ladder that led upward to brighter thoughts. He clung to that happy memory from yesterday, climbed it like a desperate foothold, replaying it until he could at least _imagine_ a smile as he remembered theirs, so animated. And he had indeed managed to relax his face as he looked over to see Galo beginning to shift. Meis had just risen up on one elbow to look at Lio, and Lio found a small smile was easy enough to form as they made eye contact. It began to grow on its own as he focused on his friends. He rubbed a hand against his eyes and gave a little yawn, like he had just woken up, to explain away any potentially lingering redness. His heartbeat eased fully back to normal. Meis' face lit up, returning a grin. He began shaking Gueira, who had draped an arm and leg off the side of his cot as he slept. Galo was dragging his hand through some very interesting bedhead hair that Lio's fingers were immediately eager to try touching again.

_Please let me stay with them_.

A subtle strength ran up his spine. He chose to cling to that hope for now.

"Good morning. Let's have breakfast!" Lio suggested with a tilt of his head that had them all stumbling to their feet.

So they did. Lio gratefully absorbed the sense of normalcy as they ordered bagels, fruit, and coffee delivered from the cafeteria. He pulled his legs up, sitting with them crossed so the other three could all crowd onto his double bed. It turned out to be one of the best mornings Lio could remember, because it was warm and calm and everything and nothing and these guys he liked best. When the food came, they had the server take a group picture of them, sipping from their paper coffee cups with their pinkies out and bored looks of exaggerated sophistication. They sent it as an update to the Burning Rescue team, who turned it into a caption contest. Meis, Gueira, and Galo enjoyed reading the responses aloud to Lio as he tried not to choke on his breakfast with the laughter. Galo's team had an amazing sense of humor.

They talked about the worst breakfasts they'd ever had (Gueira won with his impromptu roadkill BBQ) and the best breakfast they had personally cooked (Galo won with a delicious-sounding spinach, onion, and bacon frittata that had them looking less fondly at their bagels and shmear). Galo offered to cook for them when Lio was released from the hospital, and it earned him a million post-game points. He excitedly began describing his best dishes to a very appreciative audience, and took requests as a thrilling challenge.

But _of course_ it couldn't last forever. A new kind of pain made itself known to Lio as Galo was co-creating his menu with the Burnish trio. Lio almost didn't want to tell them when he began to feel an ache spread through his hands, across his torso, and most intensely up the back of his shoulders, neck, and head. Twinges of pain snaked inward with each movement, and he casually flipped his hands palms up and cradled his plate to hide them as he started to see discoloration. He resented the idea of losing this glowing moment, a pocket of sunshine in his limited time. But. He wasn't going to hide physical injuries from them anymore. And he could use this to segue into another important subject…

When Galo conveniently asked him how he was feeling, he took it as a sign that now was the time.

"Better. I don't feel feverish at all. Um," Lio addressed Gueira and Meis in particular. "So, at the end of the dragon… episode, I told you Galo pulled me out, right?" At their nod, he continued. "Well. I didn't stop right away. And I fought back."

Galo's eyes had widened slightly and Meis sat straighter as if realizing where this was going. Gueira looked quickly between them, piecing things together.

"You're hurt?" Galo asked, clenching his hands together, clearly running memories through his mind. He paled as he seemed to recall the scene.

Lio gave him a reluctant half-nod. "It's not bad," he said, turning over his hands, angry bruises radiating out from the knuckles.

Galo expelled the breath he had been holding like someone had punched him, eyes fixated on the red, black, and blue that trailed down fingers and wound up past the wrists. His own hands flinched back. Meis and Gueira frowned darkly as they each took a slender hand and ran their fingers lightly over the marks.

Lio studied a morose Galo as the two inspected his hands, and when the firefighter's anguished eyes flicked from Lio's hands to his face, Lio was ready with a kind smile. After all, he claimed full ownership for this pain, this was a consequence of his own poor choices... And Galo's good ones.

These were wounds Lio didn't look at bitterly. They were evidence of the way Galo reminded him of the person he wanted to be. Because of Galo, he had been able to stay true to the values he tried to demonstrate for all the Burnish-that they had worth, dignity, self-respect, and respect for life. Because of Galo, he was able to pull back from betraying the trust and innocence of the living fire. Galo had yanked him out of his own fire dragon and fought him until he would listen because of his conviction that Lio was something better. And he hadn't stopped reminding Lio ever since. It was strange-being rescued by Galo, needing Galo, partnering with Galo, had made him more _himself_. It was like a nonstop source of courage.

Gueira's foot came up and kicked Galo off the bed.

"Hey!" Lio exclaimed, pulling his hands back and glaring.

Meis folded his arms with a dark look. "He broke the _ultimate_ rule."

Gueira was glaring over the side of the bed. "Demotion! Boss privileges suspended!"

Galo gave them an accepting, agonized look.

"_Guys_. I was the one punching _him_. He was just trying to stop me from doing something I'd regret."

Meis and Gueira crossed their arms, frowning harder. As one, they both looked down at a contrite Galo, sitting on his legs with his head bowed, and declared, "Don't care." They promptly turned away, facing Lio again.

"Is this all?" Meis demanded as he pointedly ignored Lio's small scowl.

Lio furrowed his brow for a moment and ran his fingers over his shoulder. Yes, definitely tender. Urrrrgh, more like tenderized, he realized, as he felt the bruises through every layer of muscle, sinking into his bones. He hoped it looked better than it felt. Lio sighed and then turned, lifting his hair and tugging the shirt collar aside so they could see whatever there was to see on his shoulders and up his neck. The movement made him a little dizzy and his head squeezed painfully.

"It's not too bad, right?"

Next thing he knew, he was down two pillows and Galo was on the receiving end of a very one sided pillow fight.

Rolling his eyes, Lio summoned a little extra energy and grabbed one of the flailing pillows with one hand and Galo's shirt collar with the other and gave a weak yank. "I need those!"

Meis and Gueira paused, considered Lio's words, and looked even more furious at Galo.

"Guys, we don't have time to fight, there's a lot to fit into three days." Lio sighed, energy taking flight, and the pillow-wielders rushed to replace them as Lio had to lean back again. He tried to keep his face still as the ache transformed into pulsing pain when his weight returned to his shoulders after the extra activity. Judging from Meis' look of grief and Gueira's heartfelt "Sorry, Boss," he realized he hadn't succeeded. Shirt still in Lio's hand, Galo quickly rose and resumed his seat so Lio could relax and let go. Gueira still pushed a foot against him, but didn't shove him all the way off.

Meis took a deep breath, and repeated Lio's words. "Three days?"

Lio explained his conclusions regarding their immediate timeframe and recommendations for managing next steps within it. They kept glancing at the visible bruising, but Lio resolutely ignored it and continued on, demanding their attention on the topic he was addressing. If they used today for preparation and planning, Meis and Gueira could head out tonight and take the following couple of days to make a world circuit, meeting with the required nodes in their network to set the chain in motion and bring their people to safety. Lio planned to ask the Burning Rescue team for their help in working with the rest of the Mad Burnish in Promepolis to ensure things stayed on track here. Meis and Gueira would be back on day three, well before the next round of, well, _healing_ started for Lio.

"It's asking a lot of you, I know." Lio recognized, addressing his lieutenants. "If this doesn't seem like the right approach, I'm open to other suggestions. But we need to get this done."

Meis frowned. "I don't like the idea of leaving you for that long. We don't _really_ know what's going to happen."

"We couldn't stand it if…" Gueira looked tormented. Lio was surprised but pleased when Galo joined Meis in placing a comforting hand on Gueira's arm, and Gueira seemed to accept it.

"I trust you guys to go in my place, and I know you want to be here… later… for things, and honestly I want you here too, selfish as that is. So, this seemed like the best plan."

"We'll… see what intel we can gather today and make a decision together this afternoon." Meis suggested.

Lio nodded, accepting that for now. Meis stood, smoothing a final soft touch to Lio's wounded hands.

"Guess we'd better get a move on, then."

Gueira, arms crossed, casually extended his leg, pushing until Galo was required to get off or fall. Ensuring Galo wouldn't be the last one on the bed with Lio. Lio tried to hide a smile.

"Come back for lunch?" Lio command-questioned.

"You know you can't keep us away." Meis grinned at last. Then glanced at Galo. "We always need to do extra inspections with the newbies."

"And check in on our rather hopeless boss," Gueira snuggled his cheek briefly in Lio's hair, a hand gently touching his shoulder, before he, too stood. Meanwhile, Meis had gripped Galo by the shoulder and murmured something in his ear that made his face pale as he first shook his head and then nodded rapidly. Then Gueira slung an arm across Meis' shoulder and the two departing Burnish headed for the door.

"The sooner we go, the sooner we're back!" Gueira declared. They turned at the entryway one last time and gave Lio determined smiles. When he returned it, they waved and walked out of the room.

"You're so simple sometimes…" Lio could hear Meis tell Gueira in amusement as they walked down the hall.

"Makes it easier to always be right!" Gueira declared. Meis just chuckled.

Lio's smile softened. He closed his eyes briefly, savoring the feeling of fondness and companionship the two gave him. It was important to be mindful and enjoy such things right now, while he could.

He opened his eyes when he felt Galo pick up his hands. Begin inspecting them sorrowfully as he sat once more facing Lio on the bed.

"I didn't mean… I hate that I hurt you."

Yeah, Lio figured Galo's earlier quietness had meant it was bothering him.

"Seriously, don't feel bad. These are a _good_ reminder, right? They marked a turning point for us. You saved me so we could save everyone." Lio twisted his wrists until he was actually holding Galo's hands, and gave them a squeeze, ignoring the pain as tender muscles tightened with the gesture.

Galo didn't say anything, but winced and flexed his fingers so Lio would relax his, keeping Lio's hands palm to palm against his own. Eyes still tormented, he stared again at the inescapable marks of their conflict and his method of resolution.

"We're trained to restrain without causing harm. We're not supposed to hurt people. Especially not- I especially don't want to hurt you."

Lio chuckled softly, brushing his palms softly forward against the decidedly larger ones until his fingertips rested against the thinner skin at Galo's wrists, feeling his pulse. It became unsteady as Galo lifted his eyes back to Lio's face in response to the tender gesture. Galo likely didn't know, but this was an act of trust among the Burnish, a way they had been able to connect their fire more intimately. Lio offered his smile, small but deep, as he leaned slightly forward.

"I don't think any training prepared you for me, Galo Thymos."

Galo's face went absolutely still. Yet something changed dramatically. Lio was trying to read the meaning, but was distracted as Galo firmly clasped Lio's wrists and broke eye contact. He lifted the smaller hands.

Focusing first on Lio's left hand, he brushed his lips gently across the tender skin of the knuckles. Lio felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. Electricity seemed to crawl up his ribcage and bury itself in his neck and cheeks as Galo performed the same action on his right hand. Lio couldn't have moved his arms if he tried.

Lio's heart was already doing double-time as Galo drew even closer, releasing his hands so he could guide Lio to turn to the side. With one hand, Galo oh so gently lifted his hair, twining his fingers in the rich layers. He ran his other warm, textured hand tenderly over the bruising across Lio's shoulders, pushing the shirt aside to give access. His fingers shifted direction to trace up Lio's neck as if memorizing the exact curve. Lio couldn't help a shiver at the way Galo's skin grazed over his own, breath catching with no release, vision almost completely blanking as all attention was honed in on touch. He turned his head slowly and looked up wide-eyed at Galo, mouth parted and one shoulder now bare. Galo met his eyes for a moment as if drinking in the scene. The fingers against him trembled. Then those blue eyes broke away as his jaw tightened. The fingers still on Lio's skin pressed momentarily more firmly. Galo didn't move at all for the next three heartbeats, then he leaned forward and very softly pressed his lips to the sore spot just behind where Lio's shoulder met his neck. A quiet stuttering breath escaped Lio.

"There." Galo whispered, "Now it will get better." Then leaned back, letting the fingers from one hand trail across skin as they pulled away and lifted the shirt back over Lio's shoulder. His other fingers slowly filtered through the layers of hair they had been buried in.

Lio dropped limply back against the pillows, an electric current numbing residual pain. Galo wasn't meeting his eyes, but his face was flushed and his eyes wide and dark.

"W-why?" Was all Lio could manage.

Galo swallowed. "Why what?" He asked, a tension in his voice, avoiding.

"Why…" What else could Lio say? "Why do you…help me so much_?" Get so close_.

It was a variation on his earlier question, _why do you keep saving me_, which he had been disappointed Galo hadn't answered. Because Lio realized he _did_ want to hear an answer, something to indicate that he meant something to Galo. Maybe something personal, not just his duty to rescue others in general. Like... He'd want to stick around _after_ Lio was safe.

Because… Galo, like that sun on the horizon, meant something to Lio.

It had surprised him how much. As he thought of that bright future he craved and was afraid to lose… Galo was in every scene. It wouldn't have seemed whole without him.

In all the variations of the future, Galo was somehow a fixed point.

But the only reason Galo was with Lio in the first place was because he rescued people who needed it-and Lio had needed a lot of saving. So what about when that practical need was over? When Lio didn't _need_ to be rescued and Galo didn't need Lio's help rescuing anyone else or cleaning things up anymore, either? Would Galo still want to be there with him?

He didn't think he could keep being pulled in closer if it was all going to end, if he'd have to lose this, move on as usual. It was disconcerting, just how vulnerable he was to this particular pull.

He had a nagging desire for _meaning_ behind the affection Galo seemed to naturally give him. Especially when he was so… _expressive_. Eyes, touch, words, tempting him to believe something more.

Lio found himself leaning forward slightly as he peered more closely at Galo's unreadable face. Did Lio mean something more… or not? He really couldn't tell. Because Galo was just steadfastly _good_. Friend or enemy, he would help anyone who needed it, with _this_ level of dedication.

When Galo didn't have an immediate answer, Lio couldn't ignore the spike of fear that said his concerns were true. So he pushed, just to have it clear, rip the band-aid off and tell his heart to _calm down_.

"I know saving people is your thing, so none of this means-so I understand why you saved me, too. I just... There is a whole city out there in need. Why stay here and help me, why go so far now to help just... me?"

_Just tell me it's your burning soul's mission to rescue anyone. That you'll leave no one behind or alone if they need a rescue. It's your duty, your calling, your identity. I know that, just say it so I don't- so I know where I stand_. _How... far away to stand._

"That's not…"

Galo stopped. He clenched his fists.

"You're just…"

He failed again to continue.

Lio scrunched his face in confusion at Galo's struggles. Galo always seemed eager and ready to give a speech about his ideals. So…?

Galo's face was crimson and his voice distressed when he continued in a rush, pushing back with his words. "How could I _not_?! Why did _you_ help _me_ so much? There were so many things, you just knew how to…" Galo dug his fingers in his hair, eyes traveling as he seemed to review memories to find an explanation. "You told me the _truth_, for no reason, like I mattered, and you helped me… like you just _knew_ me, I barely had to explain about the mech and the matoi, what I needed, and you gave it, you made it all perfect, _how did you know how to do that_, I could do _anything_ with you there, you just, made me warm even when it was my own fault I was cold, and saved _me_ rather than yourself, and put your fire in my heart, and you were just _perfect,_ always, and you-you helped me, no matter the cost… how do I do the same for you…? You let me join you in saving the _whole world_… It's definitely _my turn_ to…" Galo finally ran out of steam, and his face twisted. Then he looked up desperately.

"And…" Galo finally locked eyes with him. "I _want_ you." Stopped, eyes so full.

Lio could only hear the heartbeats in his ears, astonished, something ready to burst from his heart-

"-togetbetter." Galo finished in a near panic, panting.

Lio blinked rapidly. He felt like he'd been launched towards the sky, and right when he was about to spread wings and fly, he'd been slammed into the ground. He took a difficult breath, the air seemed strangely painful.

"I… helped you, so you want to help me now?" Lio summarized. That was so…

Transactional.

An obligation.

So then after… It _would_ be done.

He tried not to let the ache show in his face.

"N-no…"

But Galo, exuberant, answer-for-anything Galo, seemed at a loss for words. His face a combination of panic and remorse. Mortification crept across Lio's skin as he realized he was pushing for something that wasn't there and making Galo feel bad in the process. Lio pulled back and pulled everything inward.

"I-I didn't say that right-" Galo took a stumbling start to explain, beginning to lean forward as Lio leaned away.

Lio shook his head and held up a hand, taking a steadying breath. "It's okay, I understand." This was better anyway. If there was no special feeling attached, it would be easier for Galo if things turned out… not the best for Lio.

So why did it feel like his chest still had cracks in it?

"I'd like to rest now." Lio leaned fully into the pillows and closed his eyes, shutting out the tormented look he'd once again put on Galo's face. Grief-laced sleep sank it's claws into Lio and pulled him under as the last of his energy supply drained away.

* * *

Aina wasn't sure what to do when an almost-sobbing Galo called her from the hospital lobby on her way to work and started babbling about messing up with Lio.

"Galo!" She cut in. "Is Lio okay?"

Sniff. "He's sleeping. The nurse is watching him for a minute."

"Then what-calmly, and in as few words as possible-is wrong?"

"I think I hurt his feelings."

Aina took her phone away from her ear and stared at it. _You have_ got_ to be kidding me_.

"Believe it or not, Galo, I don't find that very hard to believe."

It was the wrong thing to say as the idiot on the other end of the line began wailing.

"Galo, stop." She sighed. Despite everything, she adored Galo. And she was becoming ever more fond of Lio. Who now also had her profound sympathy. "I was planning on joining Heris when she came over around lunchtime anyway. How about I order food and we can all eat together out in the hospital garden? You can tell me more when I get there and we can try to cheer him up with some fresh air and company."

"Okay." Galo sounded teary but mollified. "Ah, Meis and Gueira are going to come for lunch, too."

"Great, I'll bring enough for all."

"They… might be mad at me, too."

Aina sighed. "Maybe try not to talk to anyone else until I get there."

"Okay."

"…"

"…"

"It'll be okay, Galo. No one believes you mean anything bad."

"Thanks, Aina."

* * *

_It was strange to feel lonely when he was surrounded by a whole host of ghosts. But the fear made sense._

_He was still walking on the fire path in this familiar place, but the trail was dimmer now, flickering. He didn't like to see fires die down, they needed to burn ever brighter. He was also still holding that warm hand-more like clinging to it, and that's where the feelings of fear and loneliness spread into him._

_These ghosts, many of them needed the hand he was currently holding. He had his sword in his other hand, and he was fending them off for now. _I still need it! Wait your turn!

_Except, he didn't actually think he'd want to let it go at any point, so it felt like he was lying if he promised to let anyone else have it._

_He stopped walking and tried to imagine it. Standing on this path with empty hands. He was just one of the ghosts, it was selfish to want more than all the others. But… he squeezed the hand tighter. He didn't know if he'd even have this trail of fire without this connection. This hand was specifically important to him, even if the reverse wasn't true. It would hurt to let it go. _

Please let me keep it. Just a while longer. That will be enough. Almost.

_But it _would_ let go of him. Move on to the next one in need. That _should_ be okay… it just wasn't._

_Then, from a completely different direction, a dark wave rippled through this place and carried everything away-the ghosts, the path, the hand, even the warmth from inside him._

_A foreign feeling replaced it all, something pushing against him from all directions. Dark, angry, cold, bleeding._

With a gasp, Lio's eyes snapped open.

Hospital.

But… no Galo?

Another man was there. And it was like that intense dark feeling spilled out of _him_ and focused in on Lio until it seeped into his heart.

The stranger was wearing a uniform marking him as medical staff, but there were just enough little details _off_ that Lio could tell he wasn't. If that hadn't been enough to signal something was wrong, the scalpel raised in his hand would have convinced him.

But it was the terrifying, terrified look in the man's eyes that really fixed Lio's attention. He had been standing frozen, staring at Lio lying there defenseless, as if horrified about what he was about to do.

The moment of paralysis ended. Seeing Lio open his eyes seemed to spur the man into desperate action.

Lio became instinct. And instinct was to summon fire.

It wasn't there.

He barely managed to pull back the hand he had tried to raise in flames before it was completely impaled. Flicks of blood flew from a thin but deep cut across his palm instead, as he dodged to the side and the razor's edge sank into his pillow. Not exactly where his head had been, though. In fact the aim was so bad, the man couldn't have really been aiming for him.

This was an attack of passion without conviction. This wasn't a killer. Just someone lashing out in pain. Which was sometimes the more dangerous type of attacker to face. They were less predictable.

Adrenalin coursed through Lio's veins, giving strength to spent limbs, as he tossed his covers in the man's face. He tracked the flailing arc of the blade and held up his IV line so it would slice through and free him from the restraint. Then Lio leapt easily over the fake nurse's head. In a single, clean, twisting midair move, he tugged the man's shirt up and over his head, effectively blinding him and pinning his arms forward from the shoulder. Lio settled on the man's back, bracing his knees on either side of his spine and reached around to grab his wrist so he could safely pry the weapon from his immobilized hand. Before Lio's fingers fully closed around the man's wrist, though, the fake nurse threw himself recklessly backward. He slammed Lio's back and head into the wall, and Lio dropped limply off him. Because, okay, yes, those still hurt a _lot_, and being smashed into things did not help _at all_.

Everything swirled and grew fuzzy and the pain and disorientation suggested he release the contents of his stomach. But he held his breath and held it down until the feeling passed and the room began to come into focus. Raising himself on one shaking arm, Lio realized the attacker was gone.

He had no thought of relief, however. If someone had attacked him, it was because he was Burnish. And he wasn't the only Burnish in this hospital. He had to stop that guy.

Lio shoved himself to his feet, and grabbed anything his hands could reach before hurrying to the door. He had to lean against the doorframe for a moment to steady himself, and saw the attacker nearing the end of the hall leading away from the nurses station and lobby.

There was no hospital staff or security in sight. This attack was definitely planned.

But where had _Galo_ gone? Again, without thought he acted on instinct, reaching out to Galo through internal channels as he would have his Burnish comrades in arms.

_Stupid_, he admonished. No fire. No channel. He had to _stop doing that_.

Besides, Galo had just… left him there. What good would reaching out now do?

Well fine. He was used to taking care of things himself, anyway. Might as well get back in practice.

He shoved off the doorframe, ignoring the way the hallway tipped to the side. He turned in pursuit, but stopped when the motion caused a fluttering across his chest. He looked down and his eyes widened in disbelief.

A piece of paper with a hastily scribbled note had been taped to his shirt.

_Be right back. -Galo_

There was even a matoi doodle.

He didn't realize how much he hurt until the relief rushed in. Anger, amusement, and incredulity released in a swirl of affection at the sight of a piece of paper that said he wasn't forgotten.

That man. What a dumb way to-

_I've got your back_.

For now.

Fine. That was enough.

For now.

It would definitely be helpful to have back-up after he caught the attacker.

Lio reached for the note and realized that he was holding a clipboard and ink pen, the items that had been within reach when he tried to arm himself. He knew better than to underestimate even these mundane makeshift tools.

He tore off the note, slapped it on the hallway wall beside his door, and yanked the cap off the pen with his teeth. No time to leave a note and still catch up to the fleeing man, Lio dashed after him, leaving a streak of ink along the wall as a visual pathway.

If Galo came back. _If_ he wanted to help. There would be a trail to follow.

Regardless, there had been more than enough suffering. He was not going to let anyone else get hurt.

* * *

Galo sighed and rested the edge of his phone on his forehead. Aina was the best. But he knew he was the one who ultimately had to fix this.

Galo stood and made his way back across the lobby. He hadn't meant to leave the nurse watching Lio for so long. He knew the man had other patients to see to, it was probably holding him up in his rounds.

Galo resolved to use the time while Lio was sleeping to think of better words, and as soon as Lio woke up, he'd explain himself properly. Even if he didn't quite know how to do that yet. He had certainly learned how NOT to do it.

If he didn't think it would draw attention and land him in a pysch ward, he would have been tempted to smack his head into a wall repeatedly. How had he managed to make "you're the best thing ever you mean everything to me and you helped me so perfectly but I can't figure out how to help you please tell me because I want to keep you forever?" sound like Lio was a checkbox on his rescue balance sheet?!

And all that right after he had just… with touches and… his lips still burned, fingers couldn't forget the sensations, and that image of Lio in his hands, guard down, eyes asking what Galo _wanted _with him-

And then he had asked with _words_.

Meis' warning from the night before came to him now with dreadful clarity. Lio's protector and close confidante had been uncomfortable revealing so much. Yet he made a point to anyway because he _knew_ to be worried, but was choosing to trust Galo. Why hadn't he listened right?! Galo burned with shame and remorse as his memory trail ended with that exquisite vulnerability replaced by a wounded look _he_ created as he left Lio believing he wasn't important-wasn't the only flame Galo couldn't live without.

Galo paused as he neared the end of the lobby, feeling the anguish too strongly to hide it. Knowing when he turned the corner he'd pass the nurse's station and Lucy would be all _observant_. Did he want to talk to her about this? Maybe if he gave a hypothetical (she'd figure it out but pretend she hadn't), she could give him some advice. Or just _words_. He dug the heels of his palms into his eyes.

_Why do you keep helping me?_

It was the dumbest question ever, but it shouldn't be this hard to answer, either!

If anyone else had asked, he would have said something about how his soul was on fire to rescue people, wouldn't stop until they were safe. That he cared about their well-being. But there was a different answer there, for Lio. Different from anyone else, ever. Because it wasn't just about this rescue. It was so much _more_.

How could he speak about the _more_ and the _almost_ and the _all of everything_ when he didn't have any words for something so intense himself? It just felt _bigger_ than him, in every way. Lio was just… like that. But in his struggle to explain why Lio was special, how much he appreciated Lio, he had somehow made it sound like a matter of reciprocity rather than… whatever it was. It was _more_.

_Why do I keep helping you? I'm never going to stop._

That's what he wanted to say, but it was too simple, it wasn't clear, it wasn't enough. It wasn't even a fraction of _all of everything_. But… it was a start.

Galo dropped his hands, took a deep breath, and began marching forward again.

This had not been the best start if he was trying to convince Lio that he could need Galo for everything coming up. To get this person who always _gave_ to _accept_ everything Galo had in him. To persuade Lio to let him stay so they could face everything together. Forever. Nothing else would be enough.

He had just stepped into Lucy's line of sight when he felt a nearly tangible pull inside his chest. He stood stock still, a hand hovering over his heart, startled by a message. It was urgent, anxious. _Come_. Like an electric current, there and then not. Before he had even processed it, he was running, heart pounding, back to the room. Back to Lio.

The door was open, but that wasn't unusual. Everything else was.

A cry escaped him as he looked frantically around. Then he lost his sense of hearing and was plunged into absolute silence.

There was _no Lio_.

There _was_ a mess that told of terrifying possibilities. Furniture knocked over. A severed IV line still dripping fluids on to the floor. Covers tossed in a heap. A pillow slashed and spilling its filling. A spike of ice shot through his heart.

And then he saw… a line of blood spatters.

And the silence became a roaring inferno.

His fingers scrabbled against the doorframe as he pulled himself out into the hall, the fire in his gaze frantically searching, his burning soul needing a target to lock on to. Incinerate. There was nothing.

Just when it felt like he would erupt, a fluttering beside the door somehow caught his attention.

It was his own note, the one he had left stuck to Lio, because he never wanted him to doubt for a second that Galo was forever there for him. And next to it, a line of ink that continued down the hallway.

The message was so clear to Galo, it was like Lio spoke right in his ear.

_I left intentionally. Follow me._

_Always_. Galo echoed back.

The pieces of what happened finally connected and snapped into place, and the inferno focused its energy.

Of _course_ Lio would run after his attacker. And of course Galo would run after Lio.

Always.

* * *

Author's notes:

Don't kill me.

#listentomeis

#ignispopsupandsayshooboyagain

So, if you're like me and think Lio is being painfully clueless when Galo's so smitten (super common trope): I think Lio tries really hard not to get his hopes up in general. Life has pretty consistently thrown disappointment and discouragement at him. He tries not to read too much into things based on his own desires-to the point of creating blind spots around his desires and the desires of others. When it comes to hoping for things, he has set a very high guard for himself. Like, he tries not to let himself want something until he's VERIFIED that it's real and achievable. I think he's naturally highly idealistic, which has led him to overcompensate in adhering to realist perspectives. He's an optimist who knows better.

Next chapter:

Uhhhhm. O_O Stuff happens. There's a chase scene? And then… hoo boy.


	8. Follow, Sensitive

Just about everything in this scenario was deeply familiar to Lio.

Pursuing an assailant in unknown territory.

Unarmed.

Uncertain if back-up was on the way.

Nothing unusual.

He had a process for dynamically assessing his environment and could usually find strategic ways to navigate.

He was usually unarmed… except for his fire. Which admittedly was now a huge disadvantage.

And he always had two trains of thought going-one that planned for assistance if he had gone in with a team. And one for handling things alone, as was often needed.

That last one felt different now, though. Usually he was able to be objective about expectations. Practical. He could handle either alternative.

But in this moment, as he turned the corner out of sight of his hospital room and watched his target push through into a stairwell, he realized he _wanted_ someone to back him up. A certain someone whose presence made him warm and filled him with extra courage. The person who had shown him that _seeking_ that help was a strength.

He had no fire.

His body was moving purely on adrenalin rather than strength.

He didn't know who the next target might be.

He didn't know if he was _enough_ anymore.

But still he ran.

He honestly didn't know how his legs were keeping him upright. He felt detached, as though his body was an idea rather than a solid reality. He _did_ know for a certainty that running on pure adrenalin would catch up with him sooner than later, and it would make him pay dearly. So every second counted.

Leaving a bloody handprint on the door to show the path taken, Lio ran onto the landing and looked over the railing to see the fleeing man two floors down. As soon as Lio had caught sight of him, the attacker was moving towards a nearby door. Wasting no time, Lio vaulted over the railing, taking advantage of his slender build to breeze past the interim flights of stairs in the narrow space between. Once he reached the floor with his target, he landed on the railing with just his feet (ow, that hurt a lot more without shoes), perching with perfect balance on the top rung and facing the man who had the door halfway open. In a blind panic, the fake nurse threw the scalpel still in his hand at Lio.

By sheer coincidence, his aim in this clumsy moment flew much more true than his initial attack.

But Lio had a clipboard.

The scalpel was razor sharp and struck through an inch as it hit the makeshift shield Lio held in front of his face.

Yes, that definitely would have hurt.

The man had turned in the same motion as his throw and bolted into the hallway. Lio leapt off the railing to follow, but wobbled once his feet hit the ground.

Not good.

Also, he had moved between two stories without leaving a trail.

He had a choice.

Someone who looked over the railing could see this landing, and he could leave something behind for them to see and follow.

He had a shield, which had already come in very handy… and a trailmaker.

Every instinct screamed to keep the shield. Every instinct except the one deepest inside, an uncertain flame of hope.

His heart thundered in momentary terror as his fingers dropped the clipboard and tightened around the pen.

His feet felt like they were moving in slow motion as he forced them to push away and pursue the danger, now even more unguarded.

_This is a mistake,_ the ice inside him cried.

_Please don't let that be a mistake_, he begged the flame, as he accelerated once more into a run, pulling the marker along a new wall.

Right or wrong, though, there was no denying that the tool he had kept was futile if it couldn't leave its trail.

The pen's ink ran dry just as he came to a crossroad in the hallway. So he dropped it.

And hoped for a miracle.

Galo had tunnel vision, all he could see was a wavering line of ink against an off-white wall. It might as well have been a trail of fire given how it burned into his eyes as he ran, mind in flaming panic.

He turned a corner and almost ran into a doctor he'd never met before. Galo was already swerving to go around him when the physician pointed to where the line of ink ended and exclaimed, "There's some crazy patient on the loose drawing on the walls!"

The ink had ended!

"Did you see where he went?!"

"Uhhhh…"

"Get security!" He yelled, reining in a momentary impulse to strangle him for just _standing there_.

Because his eyes landed on something that tore burning gouges into his chest. A handprint made of blood on a door. A very familiar hand, a graceful shape he realized he'd memorized as it had smoothed across his palm less than an hour ago.

He slammed through the door so hard he couldn't slow down before he hit the railing across the platform and doubled over.

The fear he felt seeing the blood on the door was dwarfed by the terror that stole all strength momentarily from his legs at the sight of a scalpel sticking out of a familiar but blood-smeared clipboard two floors below.

Galo didn't remember running down any stairs, but he was suddenly beside that ominous visual cue, and staring at another red handprint on the door in front of him.

He burst through that door as well, and felt a swell of relief at the sight of an ink line on the wall.

_Please be okay, please _please_ be okay until I get there_-

Galo pounded down the hallway until the line on the wall petered out. And there were three different directions he could go.

_No_!

He spun around, desperately looking for anything-

There was the pen! It was a couple of feet down the hall to his left. He bolted in that direction, eyes scanning everything for any kind of clue, and then he was at an intersection again.

_No no no-please_-

Mind racing, he reached with every sense for a clue, he reached with his heart-

And his feet were moving, pulling him to the right, down a new hallway. Drawing him forward until he was running, until he was _no longer_ running when an inner pull now tugged him to a stop. Two more steps and he was in front of an open doorway.

And there was Lio.

Galo took a ragged breath and released it in something that resembled a sob as he stumbled to the doorway.

Lio had a man double his weight-the _nurse_!-on his knees in front of him, holding him in a headlock with a focused scowl.

And then he looked up. And the dark expression transformed with a kind of disbelief.

Galo watched a grim tension melt from Lio's face as his eyes, heavy with discouragement, landed on Galo. Layers of fear, anger, and disappointment trickled out. An intense moment of vulnerable relief and hope glimmered there instead as Lio scanned Galo's face as if to make sure it was real.

In two strides Galo was in front of them. Without thought, he grabbed the collar of the man he had thought was a nurse and threw him across the room away from Lio.

"_Galo_-" Lio began, having let go in surprise. His gaze and posture shifted back to guarded as he watched the man land unceremoniously on the floor.

But Galo's arms were around him in the same instant, pulling him tight to his chest with a desperate strength, cutting off any further words as Lio's feet left the floor and his face was pressed into Galo's shoulder. Galo buried his face into the crook of Lio's neck, struggling to take normal breaths as the fire of anger and ice of fear still battled in his lungs for a few more moments.

Lio's fingers pressed momentarily into his back, returning the embrace. Galo could feel him take a shuddering breath as he burrowed his forehead and cheek a little further into Galo's shoulder.

Then he did the unthinkable and tried to put space between them.

"Galo-" Lio began as the stronger arms refused to yield more than an inch.

"_No_." Galo insisted, pulling him back flush to his chest.

Lio stilled. Then placed a deliberate palm against Galo's back.

"Galo." This time it was a command.

It went against everything he was holding pent up inside, but he allowed Lio to push back and step down out of the embrace. He would never do anything Lio didn't want.

But Lio kept a hand on his arm and his eyes were kind and serious as they held his.

"We're scaring her," Lio broke his gaze to look past Galo's arm.

Galo blinked and turned. Wondered how in the world he had missed that there were two other people in the room.

Two other _patients_. A woman on a bed, holding a small, unconscious girl to her chest in fear.

"Don't hurt them," the fake nurse pleaded.

Galo and Lio turned to look at him where he sat shaking on the floor, tears now tracking down his cheeks.

Lio lifted his chin, gaze sharp, his tone like a blade he was holding at the other man's throat. "_We_ aren't the ones hurting people."

"You did, though!" The man turned agonized eyes to the woman in the bed, and they shared a look of grief.

Lio's brows rose as he began to understand.

"You Burnish!" The man spat out. "You dropped a whole space ship on us! My wife, my little girl… she may not… my little girl…" He grit his teeth and glared at Lio. "I had to fight back. I had to fight for her. Had to fight the ones who hurt her."

Galo was in the man's face in two seconds, fist once more in his shirt. "You- Lio has been just as hurt as anyone! And he got hurt _fighting_ the one who _did this_ to you!"

Galo heard a choked sound of fear coming from the woman. He turned to look, just as Lio stopped walking towards her. She was clutching her injured daughter even closer, glaring with a mix of terror and loathing at Lio. Lio took a small step back, but kept his grief-filled gaze on her, and then the girl.

"I'm so sorry you were hurt."

She stared at him. He looked back to her, offering nothing but sincere compassion in his gaze. Galo knew from experience how deep that went. He saw her face slowly change, a thread of doubt tugging at her defensive anger until it unraveled to grief, and she and Lio were sharing the same expression.

_He really is miraculous_, Galo thought.

Then those disarming eyes were on him.

"_He's_ not Burnish," Lio spoke to reassure the woman.

Lio tilted his head, beckoning Galo over to provide comfort to someone who had rejected his.

And Galo hated what Lio was asking, hated that he had to turn his anger aside rather than defend him. Hated that Lio seemed _practical_ about this unwarranted spite, _used to it_.

But between his eyes that Galo could no longer refuse, and the sight of the broken little girl, and the lines of pain in the woman's face, Galo acquiesced. Released the man without a second glance and eased the glare from his face as he moved to check in on the patients.

Lio moved in the opposite direction.

Alarmed, Galo grabbed his wrist as he passed. Lio paused and ran the fingers of his other hand down the back of Galo's and gave him a confident look.

"It's okay, I've got this."

Galo reluctantly let go, but he turned as he walked the last few steps, to keep Lio in his sight.

Lio was finding it hard to hold on to enough anger to keep his exhaustion at bay now that he understood what was going on. More victims of Kray armed with decades of misinformation, directing their animosity at the easier target they were more familiar with. Well, thinking of Kray made it easy enough to summon the anger again, although he tempered it rather than directing it at anyone present.

The man had fallen to his knees when Galo released him, and was now sitting back on his heels in a posture of defeat. Lio squatted down to eye level, just out of arm's reach. He could see that the fight had gone out of this husband and father, leaving a helpless despair.

"You're being selfish." Lio waited until the other gaze met his, sharpened slightly. "They need you right now, and you're on a path to causing them more pain. What happens when you get arrested? They won't have you. I _know_ it's painful and frightening right now." Lio paused, feeling that truth intensely himself, in so many profound ways. The man's eyes widened. For the first time, he seemed to actually see Lio. Lio took a deep breath and continued with conviction. "It _does_ hurt, and it's terrifying, so you need to focus on how to _be there_ for each other. Nothing will change the past, but the decisions you make right now will determine the future you can have together."

The man looked down and tears began falling again. He gave a small nod. His voice was barely audible when he spoke.

"I shouldn't have done that. I don't even know you."

"No. You don't. Remember that next time you want to lash out at a _person_ because you think you understand a label."

The man hunched further into his shoulders, hands coming up to cover his face as he nodded again. He whispered something that may have been an apology, but Lio didn't need it. He leaned forward just an inch as he rose, so he could rest his fingertips briefly against the man's shoulder.

"And don't ever lead your enemies back to your people," he couldn't help adding. The fact that he had known he was being pursued and ran back to what he was trying to protect, exposing them, told Lio how inexperienced this man was at attacks and conflict. And he certainly didn't seem to have any natural instincts in that direction.

Lio really couldn't imagine what it must be like to have your child injured. But he knew how _he'd_ reacted when he hadn't been able to protect those he cared for. He'd just had something bigger than a scalpel to work with.

Thinking of his own averted rampage, he turned back to Galo, who was sitting on the edge of the hospital bed with one hand on the little girl's back, and the other holding the woman's. But he was staring at Lio with a look more complicated than any he'd ever seen on that direct and expressive face. It was unhappy but also intensely affectionate, layered with so many other things.

They broke the look as loud sounds began coming from the hall. Then what looked like a security team and a doctor hurried by, but almost instantly stopped and doubled back.

"Him!" The doctor exclaimed, pointing at Lio, "He's the vandal I saw!"

The security team rushed into the room, but then halted as they got a good look at Lio, who was backing away, already cataloguing potential escape routes.

"Isn't this one of the high profile's we're supposed to be guarding?"

"Yes!" Galo leapt up, outrage stamped on his features. "Where were you?!"

The leader of the security team examined Lio's state, a look of recognition setting in. He frowned when he saw the ink mixed with blood on Lio's still very bruised hands.

"You're the Mad Burnish leader. And you were drawing graffiti on this property?" He questioned. Glanced to the weeping man on the floor and the stressed patient in the bed, and frowned. "Were you _attacking_ these people?"

"This is what we get for letting terrorists into our hospital!" The doctor shouted from the hallway, as if he wanted the whole floor to hear him.

Lio stopped backing away. Looked at the telltale ink that had leaked onto his hands from his rough handling of the pen. Hands that had clearly been in a fist fight. He looked at the pathetic scene this broken family made. And yes, of course, his own face had been plastered across the news cycle for days when the leader of Mad Burnish himself had finally been captured. They likely wondered why they had been instructed to guard him. He couldn't blame them for their conclusion based on the evidence.

Looking back at his messy hands, he couldn't help it-exhausted tension released and he began to laugh. He'd literally been caught red (and black) handed.

And wasn't this just _typical_?

He glanced ruefully at Galo, expecting him to share in the ironic humor, but his laughter died at the look on Galo's face. Red and practically teary with frustration, Galo stepped in and got right in the guards' faces as they began advancing on Lio.

"Lio is the _victim_ here, you-" But the closest guard cut him off by grabbing his shoulder none too gently and trying to push him out of their way to capturing the Mad Burnish boss.

"Sir, you need to _back off_. If you interfere in the apprehension of a criminal, we'll consider you dangerous as well-"

"Galo-"

Galo jerked his shoulder out of the guard's grasp, taking a step backward, closer to Lio. "_He_ isn't the criminal!" Galo threw an arm wide, both indicating Lio and blocking him off from their advancement. "_He_ was attacked because _you_ didn't do your job and protect him!"

The same guard's face darkened as he stepped forward and faced off against Galo. "It's our _job_ to protect the _innocent_ people in this hospital, not the violent troublemakers who were let in due to an oversight during this crisis that they caused themselves. This criminal should never have been allowed to use our scarce medical resources in the first place, and this destructive behavior is exactly what we should have expected!"

"Yeah!" The whiny doctor called unhelpfully from the safety of the hall with a rude gesture to Lio.

Galo's face had gotten so red by this point, Lio was surprised he couldn't see smoke. "That's a _lie_!" Lio wondered which part Galo meant before he continued. "And _you're_ the one threatening an innocent person _right now_-"

Lio tensed, noticing the woman had grown paler with the escalation in aggression, and the unconscious girl's brow was furrowed. The fake nurse was frozen, staring at Lio with a look of dawning horror as he listened to the ignorant, runaway accusations leveled at him. The guard captain had clapped a hand on his subordinate's shoulder, clearly with the intention of calming the situation, but the two facing off were too wound up to notice the alarm they were causing.

Lio stepped just a little closer, his hand up in a cautionary gesture. "Galo-"

"_No_!" Galo glared at him over his shoulder before turning back to the furious guard. "I know for a fact that you were supposed to provide extra protection for the Burnish and especially for Lio! Explain to me how the hell he-" Galo pointed at the man on the floor, "-was able to attack Lio _in his bed_?! THIS-" he reached back and grabbed Lio's wrist, pulling him forward and thrusting the injured, inky hand in the guard's face, "-is what he had to go through to_ ask for help_ that should have _always been there for him_! STOP BLAMING THE VICTIM AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY!"

Lio could only stand there, shocked and uncertain how to react to someone else fighting _for_ him against this social prejudice he had gotten so used to.

_Don't get used to the help_, whispered through him, and his fingers flinched. He dropped his eyes, even more uncertain.

But Galo's hand still around his wrist, the way he was standing somewhat in front of Lio to shield him, and the set to his shoulders that said he'd take any of the heat thrown at Lio… made him feel warm. Safe. Not alone. He couldn't help taking another step closer to this solid presence.

Lio's first assailant now rose, stepped forward, and said, "What he's saying is true. I was the one who attacked _him_." He gestured a hand towards Lio with a new look of unsettled apology as he gazed at the lone Burnish in the room. "He was only trying to defend himself." Then he swung his eyes to the captain and openly admitted. "I also… changed the security protocol to give myself the gaps in your coverage."

This caught Lio's attention and he stepped forward, instantly commanding.

"We need to check and make sure all the Burnish are safe and have ample security coverage." He sliced through the suspended argument and drove straight to necessary action. "You-" he gave a stern look to the now cooperating attacker, "-will tell us everything so we can prevent such a breach in future."

The team leader had stiffened and frowned at the news their systems had been tampered with. Then Lio caught his eye and held it firmly for a moment before the captain nodded and gave orders. The angry guard was dismissed from his shift. One guard moved to detain the confessor, another headed into the hall to radio in the instructions for doing a full security review and an immediate check of the Burnish in particular, and a third went to talk to the woman, who now looked exhausted.

Lio could relate. He wavered on his feet and of course both Galo and the security captain noticed. Galo dropped his wrist to wrap a more supportive arm around his shoulders and the security leader nodded to the door.

"Apologies for… everything. You can go-we'll come to you to get your statement so we can press charges-"

"No." Lio paused. His lack of trust in the justice system mixed with his strong instincts about the attacker's motivations now that he understood them. He looked at his former assailant. "No charges. What's your name?"

The man blinked. "Jon."

Lio raised a brow at being given a first name. "Okay. Well, Jon is voluntarily and immediately submitting himself for psych observation and requires counseling for himself and his family."

The security chief kept his face stoic, but there was respect in his nod to Lio.

Jon went to his wife and held her and his daughter. They wept with relief and the release of sorrow after anger, and the chief gave them a moment.

Lio took one last look at the little girl and whispered an inner prayer. Then he wrapped his fingers in the waistline of Galo shirt for additional balance and walked out into the hallway, still nestled under Galo's arm. Galo seemed to have contained his frustration, but Lio could still sense the heat of it under the surface. Galo began to move in the direction that would take them to the elevators, but Lio halted and began grilling the security guard about the protection for the Burnish. He wasn't about to leave that to chance again. When he was satisfied with the update that reported all was well and had secured detailed promises for the additional measures he thought necessary, he finally let Galo pull him away.

Oh… he was truly at the end of his strength. Black was beginning to creep in at the edges of his vision.

_Just make it back to the room just make it back-_

Nope, that goal was too overwhelming just now. Break it down.

_Make it to the end of the hallway, make_-

Nope.

He didn't even remember falling. It was like he had jumped moments and now he was limp in Galo's arms, cheek pressed to a heartbeat that was going too fast.

His eyes didn't seem to want to stay open. With the fluttering attempts he made, he saw they were already moving back into his room. Galo was talking to someone he called Lucy in a tense voice, and her replies were full of gentle sympathy. Another brief moment of sight showed her setting down all sorts of supplies. She asked if she could help, but Galo just requested she leave.

He felt Galo sit and prop Lio upright, leaning sideways against his chest. Lio sighed and relaxed, content to let his eyes stay closed because he liked this position. Just about everything hurt, and his hand felt like it had a spike through it running straight up his arm, and his head was mush, and his stomach had grown queasy again with the strange pressure at the back of his scalp. But his cheek fit just right against Galo's shoulder, tucked beneath his chin. The strong arm wrapping around him gave him the deepest sense of safety. All was well.

Wait.

Was it?

Galo didn't seem at ease. Lio could hear his heartbeat still racing and his breathing was off. Trembling fingers lifted the wrist of his injured hand.

And Lio remembered there was something he himself had been afraid about before. He remembered the feeling but not the cause. What was it? Slowly, sluggishly, his mind rewound.

Oh yes, he'd been attacked. The Burnish were in danger.

He tried to sit up further and forced his eyes open.

"I need to go…"

Galo's arm tightened around him.

"You need to rest." Galo's voice sounded so strained.

"I need to make sure they're alright. I've been away from them for _so long_." Lio didn't know how that mournful tone crept into his voice.

He felt Galo's cheek press into his head, the larger man taking a couple of deep breaths before he replied with gentle sorrow. "They're okay. You protected them. They'll be so glad to see you when you've rested a bit."

Lio leaned fully against Galo again. He was grateful to know the Burnish were okay, but that whisper of fear didn't leave. Where was it coming from?

Regardless, with the reminder of his people, the desire to see them burned in him. So when would he be able to go…? Something about time nagged at his mind. Oh! Yeah. Three days. Maybe that was the afraid thing. He'd better hurry.

But he couldn't even keep his eyes open.

Okay. Everything was about rationing now. If he took a little time to recover now, he'd have the reserves to spend time with them later. He wasn't waiting any longer than today, though.

"I'll go tomorrow." Lio concluded.

Galo said nothing. But his hand released Lio's wrist and smoothed the hair out of his face, tucking it behind his ear as the fingers continued back until they were wound deep in the layers at the nape of his neck, holding him gently. It was strangely soothing despite the tenderness of his scalp.

He pressed closer to Galo.

The fear got stronger.

On a shaky exhale, Galo's cheek pulled away and his hand left Lio's head, instead moving to lift his wrist again.

Lio opened his eyes. Galo was staring at his hand, which admittedly looked pretty gross. The cut, already deep, seemed to have expanded and was filled with… blood and ink and who knew what else. Oh. Yeah. It would need to be cleaned and stuff. Actually, he really didn't know since he'd never had to use anything except fire for this kind of scratch before.

Still, that wasn't where the scared feeling was. But looking at his hand… looking at Galo… yes, it was somehow related.

Thoughts of fear were pushed aside as Lio saw an emotion take hold of Galo's face and sink deep roots as he stared at the wound. A seed of anger deepened into fury. The soul-fire Lio always admired in Galo's eyes turned into a raging wildfire.

"Oh. You have a dragon."

Galo's eyes turned to him, still alight. Lio knew dragons hurt when they were devouring you.

"I _am_ angry." Galo confirmed, shortly.

"Not at me…" Lio already was pretty certain that was true, but just to be sure…

Galo huffed a breath as he closed his eyes and shook his head, bringing Lio's hand up to cradle it at his chest.

"No."

"If you fix my hand, I can hold the dragon for you." Lio offered. He'd like to return the favor.

Galo shook his head again, fingers pressing into Lio's wrist. But then, Lio's permission granted, with a look of grief and a grit of his teeth, Galo moved into decisive action.

There was a bowl of warm water, and soaps and disinfectants and tubes and bandages and _things_. Lio watched, fascinated, still trying to keep his eyes open long enough to take everything in. His whole arm tingled when Galo put some kind of gel across his palm, concentrating it especially around the cut. It was strange, his skin was going numb but he also felt things more acutely at the same time. He wasn't afraid, but… as Galo finished arranging things and shifted Lio into the right position to work on his hand at the table, Lio found himself explaining something he had never told anyone before.

"I feel too much in my hands."

Galo paused.

"Only Meis and Gueira know because they figured it out." Lio flexed his hands a bit. "I don't know why they're so sensitive, it's really inconvenient. They're _hands_. Might be a Burnish thing… I don't remember if it was like that before. Usually wear gloves, that helps."

Galo had frozen.

"Go ahead, though."

Galo's forehead plunked down on Lio's crown and he vehemently uttered a string of curse words that Lio was absolutely shocked Galo even knew.

Then, as if to avoid thinking about anything further, Galo strengthened his grip, lifted Lio's hand, and plunged it into the soapy, disinfecting water. The cleansing fluid flooded his wound.

And Lio was suddenly very awake. With a choking sound, his toes were pushing against the cabinet beneath the table, pressing his back against Galo's chest, and pulling against the grip on his wrist. He stilled after that initial reaction, panting. Galo hadn't made any further move, but he also didn't let go or let Lio pull his hand back. Both of their breathing patterns had grown irregular.

"Go ahead," Lio commanded around clenched teeth.

And Galo began _scrubbing_ at the wound with some kind of bristly sponge. Lio's head flew back against Galo's shoulder, eyes screwed shut, jaw locked, pressing backwards as every scrape against his hand shocked through all the nerves of his body.

He said a silent prayer for every non-Burnish human who had ever had to go through this kind of thing in order to heal.

_Heaven and hellfire_-

Why was this taking so long, wasn't it clean already?! It had been _hours_.

He tried not to make any noise or squirm because Galo was chanting, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" nonstop and sounded like he was the one feeling this pain.

By the time he was done and lifting Lio's hand from the water, Lio was shaking. But his lips were pressed together and he remained silent.

Galo's hands were impossible, because nothing that strong and solid should also be able to be so gentle. They were guiding whispers as they dried Lio's palm and fingers, applied a perfect line of surgical glue, and somehow managed to stick tiny butterfly bandages as reinforcements to keep the break in the skin closed.

By the end, Lio's heartrate had calmed, but he could still feel Galo's racing. Having completed the procedure, Galo circled his arms fully around Lio and turned his back to the table. Facing the other chair, he drew his feet up to rest on it, bending his knees up so he was now completely curled around Lio with his body. Cheek once more resting on top of Lio's head, he began rocking gently.

Lio relaxed against him fully as he waited for the hypersensitive throbbing and tingles in his hand and arm to diminish. A warning lance of fear whisked through him again, but he was too _tired_ to figure it out.

He stared at his hand, vibrant red with irritation and an unnaturally straight line cutting across the curved organic ones. This was the first injury he'd gotten _after_ the Promare left. It would probably scar and stay with him forever. It was a strange thought. He stared at this line that was now part of him _permanently_.

Unlike the person who had done the repairs.

Lio stiffened.

And _there_ it was, the fear he had forgotten.

Oh yeah.

Galo was temporary.

Galo paused and shifted his cheek as he felt the change of tension in Lio's body.

Lio's mind raced to catch up now that he remembered. Temporary didn't mean everything was bad. He still trusted Galo to help him when he _needed_ it. Just as he had today. He just had to be careful not to need it too much or expect anything else. He knew Galo cared about people, easily got close to them, and Lio was someone he was determined to help. But for Lio, letting someone in, letting someone this close… it was personal to him. He had to be careful not to get too close so that the letting go part wouldn't break him.

And right now Galo was _so close_. _All around him_.

It was already hurting.

Despite a new mountain of fatigue that arrived with the fear, Lio pushed out weakly, trying to break the hold that had felt so comforting just moments before.

Galo gasped as if realizing something. He loosened his grip.

"Your bruises, I should have-"

And indeed, the physical pain he had forgotten also came back with a vengeance.

Lio tried to explain it away so he could _get away_, "I just want to go rest-I just need-"

And everything went very fuzzy. He hovered in limbo, trying not to feel too much as he listened to a heartbeat that he could actually hear_ inside_, where he stood on a path of flames. A path that now had an inertia that was almost _alive_ in its persistent pull.

He pushed back. And then everything went dark.

_Lio was very confused. The place was familiar. The path was kind of wobbly and flickering, but familiar. But he kept looking for something. He couldn't remember what. And then he did remember-he was looking for that warm hand that used to hold his. And he searched, scanning the path, gazing out to where the horizon should be. He couldn't find it. And then he saw his own hand... And the one he was looking for was right there, he'd been holding it the whole time! _

_How strange. _

_He walked in some measure of calm again for awhile. And then he realized he had lost something, and needed to look for it. _

_And the cycle would repeat._

_The start and stop was making him really nauseated. He needed to get out._

_But first he had to find the hand._

_Oh there was one. It was a nice one, and it was on his shoulder, but it wasn't the right one._

Lio blinked slowly. Pushed back the other place and came fully present. He realized there _was_ a real hand on his shoulder. It was strong and comforting.

It belonged to Aina, smiling in welcome as he rejoined the conscious company. Which currently consisted of her, Galo, Heris, and his doctor. A quick glance at the clock on the wall showed almost noon.

Heris and the doctor were standing past the end of his bed, listening as Galo gave an update. Lio focused back on Aina, who was studying him.

He was definitely a _lot_ more sore than when he had first woken up this morning. And his head felt squishy.

"Hello," he started, then cleared more of the sleepy rasp from his throat. "Thanks for the ice cream."

She sat down in the chair next to his bed. Where he had somehow ended up again. Those details were fuzzy.

"Hi. Anytime. Got a whole picnic prepared once we wrap up here with Heris."

His eyes widened at the idea and he sat up a little further, ignoring aches and pains, a buzz of excitement catching as his imagination started getting ahead of him. So far, Burning Rescue treats had been _experiences_ he'd remember forever.

She chuckled, and there was a warm affection in her gaze that surprised him. He tried to clear his thoughts so he could converse better.

"What was I doing?"

She raised a brow. "Sleeping."

He raised a brow back. "_Before_ that."

The amusement in her face sobered. "You were attacked and hurt." She touched his hand briefly, and he realized it was wrapped in bandages now. He didn't remember the bandages part. Looking back to her face, he was again surprised by her expression. Galo wasn't the only one with a burning soul. Her eyes had their own fierce glow at the moment and it wasn't a happy one.

"You're angry," he realized.

Her gaze remained steady. "You shouldn't have been attacked."

"I'm okay."

"Great. But you shouldn't have been attacked. So yes. I'm going to be angry about that."

His first instinct was to ask why, but he had a feeling that might come across wrong.

"That can make you tired," he cautioned instead.

Aina expelled a breath with a half smile and a shake off her head.

"So I'm learning." She looked away and studied her sister with those fire-eyes. Lio wondered if she was angry _at_ her sister or angry at what Kray had _done_ to her sister. Probably both. That _did_ sound exhausting.

Heris, Lio noted, looked decidedly less ragged than she had before. He found he was relieved about that. He kept his voice quiet as he asked, "Is your sister doing better? She seemed to be carrying the weight of the world yesterday and not taking good care of herself."

Aina looked back at him, disbelieving. "Why yes, Mr. Pot, the Kettle is doing better today after a little _enforced_ rest."

Lio stared speechless at Aina, amazed that he'd let himself get so thoroughly _owned_. He was glad Meis and Gueira weren't here to see that. He fought a rueful smile.

Aina chuckled and added, "Thanks for asking. How about you? When I talked to Galo earlier this morning before the attack, he said he was a bit of a jerk to you. Not on purpose, I'm sure, but he _can_ be frustratingly clueless."

Lio thought about the clarifying conversation they'd had and tilted his head, confused. "He wasn't a jerk? A little… hard to understand, but… honest."

Aina was carefully watching his face, so he maintained a neutral expression. For some reason, that seemed to make her narrow her eyes in suspicion.

"It's funny, I thought you'd be harder to read than Galo." She sighed and looked to the ceiling, then simply said, "Don't expect to understand Galo the first time he says or does something. You might think you're totally understanding his intention and then he drops you on your ass and goes running off after some random fire in the sky." She paused, her aggrieved expression changing to a look of dawning revelation as she shifted her eyes back to Lio. "Or I guess… maybe not so random. Hah."

Lio just stared at her, bewildered and wondering what he was supposed to be understanding from this. It sounded like… she was confirming that Galo quickly moved on after providing support. Was that it? A warning not to get attached?

She smiled and shook her head at herself. "Sorry. Point is," She leaned closer to talk more discreetly. Lio's eyes widened at her proximity. He instinctively leaned away an inch, then stopped. Reversed and actually scooted closer with a focused look of curiosity. She seemed to suppress a smile at his reaction and began talking in a conspiratorial tone, "It's _because_ you know he's so direct and honest, you think you can simply take things at face value. It's not like he's _trying_ to mislead, so it's easy to think our normal assumptions are part of that truth. But Galo tends to operate with an entirely different set that no one would expect. So he's telling the truth, but in the end, you may be deceived! By his honesty! How does that man do it?!"

Lio's lips parted, stunned. It was ridiculous but so true, he realized. Lio broke into laughter, and Aina joined him, their heads still close together from their hushed conversation. So she was telling him not to _assume_ anything, especially with Galo. Good advice all around. That's why he had bothered to ask the questions in the first place. Otherwise he _would have_ misunderstood.

The other three in the room were now looking at them, and Galo's eyes were shifting between the two, noting their proximity. Aina got a devious smile, eyes sharpening. Then she whispered, "Cheer up. Watch this reaction," and gave Lio a deliberate kiss on the cheek. He could feel his face flush from the surprise gesture.

Galo looked like he'd been hit by lightening. His whole body tensed up, face flooded with red, as he started sputtering and pointing at them.

Oh. Lio's eyes widened as he looked between Aina and Galo and back again. Were _they_-

"No!" Aina said with maximum exasperation at his expression. "_Really_?! That's it, you're both so stupid, you deserve each other." She stood and stomped scowling over to her sister, hooked an arm through hers, and pulled her back over to Lio with a "Let's get this over with."

Why did Lio always feeling like he was missing something around these people?

"H-how are you feeling Mr. Fotia?" Heris asked.

Lio shook off his confusion and raised a brow. "Well enough, Ms. Ardebit, just tired for the reasons you explained last time. And you can call me Lio."

She seemed flustered at this. "I don't think-after everything I-"

"You're helping us now. That's what matters." He didn't know the whole story, but he could see the pall of Kray Foresight over her, just like Galo, and that was enough to earn his pity. Plus, she was the one who destroyed Kray's plans first, and was now the only researcher facing up to what she'd done and helping the Burnish, so she had a measure of Lio's respect as well.

Heris stared into his eyes, searching. Her expression started fragile but moved back to the resolve he had seen in her previously.

"Lio." Heris took a deep breath and looked down at her notes, gathering herself. Aina touched his shoulder with a sincere look of thanks and he smiled at her concern for her sister.

Galo's eyes started darting between the two again, his shoulders bunching, and with a roll of her eyes, Aina removed her hand.

"I've managed to replicate the formula and personalize it to your body. You're... A very interesting example. The characteristics we identified, your potential for channeling energy, truly is exceptional. I have high expectations that this will work." Her smile was confident and gave all present hope.

A weight began to lift off Lio's heart, and he pressed his hands into the covers, trying to control it. _Careful now..._

"I'd say a safe dose is once every eight hours. I would expect to see a return to normal energy levels after 24 hours."

Galo gave a glad shout and looked like he would cry, and Lio exhaled a relieved breath. That was promising, if not a guarantee.

"That's perfect," Lio stated and explained about the three day timeframe. "That should give me plenty of time to recover and get things done before anything else happens."

He _would_ go see the Burnish tomorrow! He could feel the happiness bubbling up, erasing physical pain as it spread through him and lit a smile on his face.

"We've used this technique with success on some of the other Burnish, but remember that it's still experimental, and everyone reacts differently-" Lio's doctor began, clearly trying to temper their hopes a bit.

"Understood." Lio cut in, and held out his arm.

Heris shook her head but smiled and in under 20 seconds, it was done.

Aina grinned. "Well, a watched _Pot_ never boils, and I want lunch," she quipped, nodding to the door to indicate they should get on with picnic plans. As Aina shared this inside joke with him referencing their earlier banter, a little thrill, a sense of human connection, flickered through Lio. Delighted, he offered a personal, knowing smile in return.

But while she maintained acknowledging eye contact with him, it wasn't him she addressed next.

"Stop it." Aina commanded with a pointed finger at Galo, without even having to shift her gaze. Lio turned but missed whatever expression she had been correcting. Galo's eyes had been fixed on him, though, and his face now bordered on sulking.

"Everyone already knows to meet us out in the garden, " Aina said, checking her phone. "And looks like our squad just arrived. We'd better hurry." She turned to the doctor. "Can we get a wheelchair in-"

But Galo cut her off as he strode up to Lio.

His gaze was intense, determined but uncertain. "I can… carry you." Galo offered a hand, a touch too slowly to be truly confident, as if bracing himself.

Lio's memory of the path and his search for the hand came back to him sharply, and he surged forward to clasp Galo's and hold on before he lost it again.

He stared at their joined hands, his unconscious decision, and then up into Galo's face. Galo looked so relieved, Lio was glad he hadn't thought long enough to make any other choice.

Galo quickly detached Lio's IV and reached around his shoulders and legs, easily lifting him from the bed. Lio threw an arm around Galo's neck to secure himself as Galo supported his weight on his arms so Lio was able to sit upright, lower torso propped up by Galo's chest and shoulder, temporarily taller than his handler.

"Doing okay up there?" Galo asked, smile brilliant. Lio couldn't help returning it and said the first thing that came to his mind.

"The view is pretty nice."

A line of pink spread across the bridge of Galo's nose.

"Good _lord_," Aina groaned, while Heris just looked entranced with stars in her eyes. Lio began to turn red as he realized how that sounded.

The doctor simply said, "Make sure you're safe." Without batting an eye.

Galo, with a new hope for recovery and arms full of Lio, radiated joy.

"Don't worry, doc, I'm really strong. Lio is safe in these arms! While we're together, I'll make sure he has protection!" Galo kept grinning.

"HAH!" Aina burst out.

"Shut up!" Lio cried at Galo, red as a tomato as he gave Galo's hair a sharp yank before leaning a forearm across the blue head and burying his flaming face. "Just go."

Aina roared with laughter as she marched out of the room, leading the way.

"Okay," she declared, "The rest of that stupidity was worth it for this moment alone."

Author's Note:

Lio was so close to understanding what Aina was trying to say with her advice… and then he just missed it completely. DUDE. They're so DUMB.

We are all Aina.

We keep seeing flickers of the heart sync. More to come.

Next chapter we get to see the fall out from today's events and everyone's together for a picnic! I wonder what they'll do. I wonder what they'll talk about… It's actually the longest chapter yet and once again, pretty dense. Pacing is hard and weird.

Building on this chapter, the external world starts to come into focus again. Nothing's ever simple, is it?

Also building on this chapter… Leader Lio comes into focus for Burning Rescue.

Also, Lucia is wicked.

Also Meis and Gueira DEFINITELY need that spa day already.

Hope everyone is well and staying safe. I know things are hard right now. Someone commented that reading this was helping them, and that was just amazing to hear-I hope this provides a pleasant escape for all readers!

Behind the scenes drabbles, skip all the below if you don't care about writing:

So, going to be vulnerable for a sec here because I know it helps me when I hear other creatives admit to their struggles.

It's been really difficult recently to feel okay about this project.

I think it's cuz I calculated how much time I've put into it since October and was rather shocked I'd moved past the 500 hour mark (I go deep on story development and revision every step of the way). Like... every insecurity you can probably imagine exploded on me, from being too slow to wasting too much time on something unimportant. I'm guessing most people experience this on a long project?

Those are still loud in my head, but three things keep me going: 1. I have a freaking amazing beta reader/editor who is also volunteering her time, and I'm just incredibly humbled and grateful. She makes me determined to do my best on this, even if I whine about it (which I do). 2. Remembering that this is my own choice, and if I was willing to put this much into it, it's obviously important to me, at least, and I shouldn't dismiss that. It's okay to like doing something just for it's own sake. Plus, I'm trying to develop a new skill, and that takes time! 3. Everyone who shared a reaction or an in-depth look at their reading experience (those are like a shot of serotonin) or popped over to Twitter to say hello or provide encouragement-thank you for letting me know that this meant something to you, too. I know it was just, like, a blip in your day, but it helps me feel like there is value to doing this. I'm not a numbers/metrics person, it's the glimpse of human connection that brings me joy.

So, when the Voices of Reason tell me this is insignificant or foolish, you, dear reader, help me keep going so I can be more okay doing something I love. Thanks for hanging in there all these months.

Hmmm...

I'll take this chunk of self-anger that's still lurking and imagine it's a dragon. It can sit here with me while I write and glare at it. Eventually, I'll tame it and then it will be good company.

Creative projects are so interesting.

Oh, okay, it occurred to me that admitting it's taken me hundreds of hours to write this may be discouraging to someone who is thinking of writing their own story. Please do not think I am the norm. I think most fic writers sit down with an idea and just start writing. Maybe have a basic outline and then have fun with it and make something great. In fact, I recommend that approach. The reader payoff to author investment is probably way greater.

I had a different set of personal goals- I wanted to learn and practice intentional story development. So I spent about 30-40 hours in the concept stage, then took all those ideas and outlined around a 3-act story structure with defined character arcs. Tried to plan out the basic pacing, information delivery, build up and payoff, etc. And then I drafted the whole thing. Revisions (20-60 hours per chapter), which I initially resisted, have actually been the meat of the project, and helped solve a lot of the tensions I had with various things. It's also more than doubled the length. Even though it's been a ton of work, I'm glad I did it. The results are definitely not perfect, but I'm learning a lot along the way.

I'm trying a more streamlined process for my second project (posting the whole thing in May, yikes), and it's really hard for me, haha! I just did an outline, basic character summary, and scene breakdown before going into quick-drafting (ahhhh, sprint writing!). And I'm only giving myself 3 weeks for revisions. This is giving me anxiety. But I'm trying.

Keep growing. :D


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